THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 

OF  CALIFORNIA 

LOS  ANGELES 


THE  BOOK  OF  REVELATION 


AN  INTERPRETATION    OF 

THE    ENGLISH    BIBLE 

By  B.  H.  CARROLL,  D.D. 

The  Book  of  Genesis 

Exodus^  Leviticus 

Numbers  to  Ruth 

The  Hebrew  Monarchy 

Daniel  and  the  Inter-Biblical 
Period 

The  Four  Gospels.    Vol.  I 

The  Four  Gospels.    Vol.  II 

The  Acts 

James,  Thessalonians,  Corin- 
thians 

GalatianSy    Romans,  Philip- 
pians,  Philemon 

Colossiafis,    Ephesians    and 
Hebrews 

The  Pastoral    Epistles 

The  Book  of  Revelation 

"  These  works  are  designed  especially  for  class 
use  in  the  Semin&ry,  Christian  Colleges  and  Bible 
Schools,  as  well  as  the  Sunday  School,  That 
they  will  make  the  greatest  commentary  on  the 
English  Bible  ever  published,  is  our  sincere  con- 
viction."— Baptist  and  He/lector. 


AN  INTERPRETATION  OF  THE  ENGLISH  BIBLE 

THE  BOOK   OF 

REVELATI O  N 

BY 

B.  H.  CARROLL,  D.D.,  LL.D. 

President  of  Southwestern  Baptist  Theological  Seminary 

Edited  by  J.  B.  CRANFILL,  LL.D. 


New  York  Chicago  Toronto 

Fleming   H.    Revell   Company 

London  and  Edinburgh 


Copyright,   1913,  by 
FLEMING  H.  REVELL  COMPANY 


Ca?' 


CONTENTS 

Introduction  by  J.  B.  Cranfill,  LL.D.       .        .  7 

I.     Historical  Introduction 11 

II.     An  Analysis  of  the  Book 22 

III.  An  Exposition  of  the  Introductory  Passages    .  39 

Chapter  I 

IV.  General  Observations  on  the  Second  Revelation      52 

Chapters  II  and  III 
V.    The    Condition    of    the    Seven    Churches    in 

Asia 64 

Chapters  II  and  III 
VI.     The  Promises  to  the  Faithful  in  the  Churches      80 
Chapter  II,  17,  23-28;  Chapter  III,  5,  12,  20 

VII.     The  Throne  of  Grace 100 

Chapters  IV  and  V 

VIII.     The  Opening  of  the  Seals 114 

Chapter  VI,  i—  VIII,  i 
IX.     The  Sounding  of  the  Trumpets     .        .        .        .131 

Chapter  VIII,  2—X,  i 
X.     The  Sounding  of  the  Trumpets — Continued        .     144 

Chapters  X  and  XI 
XI.     Prophetic  Forecasts  of  Church  History     .        .     161 

Chapter  XII 
XII.     Prophetic  Forecasts — Continued  .        .        ,        .176 
Chapter  XIII 

XIII.  Prophetic  Forecasts — Continued  ....     192 

Chapter  XIV 

XIV.  The  Seven    Plagues   and   the  Seven  Bowls  of 

Wrath ao8 

Chapters  XV  and  XVI 


CONTENTS 


XV.     The  War  of  Armageddon 225 

Chapter  XVI,  I^^-2J,  with  Brief  Survey  of 
Chapter  XVII 
XVI.     The  War  of  Armageddon— Continued  .        .     240 

Chapter  XVIII— XIX,  10 
XVII.     The   Triumphant    Holy  War,  Introducing  the 

Millennium 255 

Chapter  XIX,  11— XX,  13 

XVIII.     The  Millennium 268 

Chapter  XX,  4,S>^ 
XIX.    The  Loosing  of   Sat/i.n   for   a   Little   Season 

AND  His  Final  Destruction         ....     284 
Chapter  XX,  y-io 
XX.     The  Second  Advent  ok  Our  Lord  ;  The  General 
Resurrection  of  the  Dead  ;  and  The  General 

AND  Final  Judgment 296 

Chapter  XX,  11-13 
XXI.     Our  Lord's  Final  Advent  ;  The  Resurrection  of 

the  Dead;  The  General  Judgment   .        .         .     310 
Chapter  XX,  i-is 
XXII.     The  Future  Eternal  State   of  the  Righteous 

AND  Wicked 333 

Chapter  XXI,  i—XXII,  5 

XXIII.     Epilogue 34^ 

Chapter  XXII,  6-si 


INTRODUCTION 

IT  is  not  my  purpose  to  present  a  critical  introduc- 
tion to  the  present  volume.  Happily  that  has  been 
supplied  by  the  learned  author  himself.  Not  in  all 
the  range  of  Biblical  interpretation  will  there  be  found 
a  more  comprehensive  or  a  more  luminous  discussion 
of  the  Apocalypse  than  is  contained  in  the  following 
pages. 

The  book  will  speak  for  itself,  but  it  may  not  be 
amiss  to  say  that  it  is  strongly  post-millennial.  From 
before  the  close  of  the  apostolic  era,  there  have  been 
those  who  looked  for  the  immediate  return  of  our  Re- 
deemer. To  many  of  the  early  disciples,  His  second 
coming  even  then  seemed  imminent.  The  line  of  cleavage 
between  the  pre-millennialists  and  the  post-millennialists 
began  very  near  the  Cross,  and  while  the  discussion  has 
been  maintained  for  almost  two  thousand  years,  the 
mystery  is  still  unsolved  and  its  solution  must  await 
the  unfolding  of  the  future  years. 

Let  it  be  said,  however,  that  Dr.  Carroll  has  made 
herein  a  contribution  to  post-millennial  interpretation 
that  will  challenge  the  study  and  the  admiration  of 
Christians  everywhere,  irrespective  of  their  preconceived 
opinions.  The  subject  is  handled  with  the  skill  of  a 
master  and  this  work  will  find  rapt  and  eager  students 
wherever  the  Word  of  God  is  treasured  and  revered. 
The  author  approaches  the  discussion  with  dignity  and 
conscious  power,  and  I  believe  that  nothing  in  the  range 
of  Biblical  interpretation  covering  the  book  of  Revelation 


INTRODUCTION 

will  quite  take  rank  with  the  remarkable  chapters  that 
illuminate  this  work. 

It  is  commended  most  sincerely  to  all  who  love  our 
Lord.  It  contains  no  low  note  of  doubt,  discouragement 
or  despair.  It  rings  true  to  God's  inspired  Word  and 
contains  no  hypercritical  interrogation  points.  It  is  not 
coloured  by  the  higher  criticism.  Like  some  spiritual 
Statue  of  Liberty  Enlightening  the  World,  it  bears  the 
torch  of  Christian  truth  and  knowledge. 

Reverently  it  is  sent  forth  upon  its  mission  of  in- 
spiration and  love.  The  dearest  wish  of  its  author  and 
the  most  cherished  prayer  and  hope  of  its  editor  is 
that  it  will  cheer  God's  saints  and  glorify  the  name  of 
Christ  until  He  comes. 

J.  B.  Cranfill. 

Dallas,  Texas. 


HISTORICAL  INTRODUCTION 

TWO  thoughts  strive  for  mastery  in  considering 
Revelation. 
The  first  arises  from  the  character  of  the 
book,  its  position  in  the  sacred  Hbrary,  and  its  relative 
importance.  In  rank  it  equals  any  other  New  Testament 
book,  being  marvellously  great  in  its  doctrines  and  prom- 
ises. It  is  the  inspiring  book  of  the  Bible.  From  its 
composition  to  this  day  it  has  been  a  quickening  book 
in  the  experience  of  the  people  of  God — a  book  of  resur- 
rection power  in  all  seasons  of  despair.  Wherever  the 
light  of  its  doctrines  and  promises  shines,  darkness  is 
dispelled,  faith  becomes  heroic,  hope  revives,  and  the 
powers  of  the  world  to  come  rest  on  those  who  walk  in 
its  light.  Whoever,  in  humble  and  docile  spirit,  enters 
into  a  prayerful  study  of  its  great  themes  and  lays  to 
heart  its  great  promises  will  set  his  soul  on  fire  with 
zeal  and  become  transformed  in  his  experience. 

Not  merely  in  date  of  composition,  but  in  fitness  of 
content  it  closes  the  canon  of  the  Scriptures.  It  finishes. 
It  completes.  It  perfects.  It  not  only  dispenses  with 
all  need  of  further  revelation,  but  is  not  susceptible  of 
subtraction.  Ignorance,  impiety  or  blasphemy  alone 
would  undertake  to  add  to  or  take  from  its  finality  of 
content.  It  is  the  climax  of  history  embodied  in 
prophecy.     We  may  indeed  expect  new   light  to  con- 

11 


12  REVELATION 

tinuously  break  out  of  God's  Word,  but  we  may  not 
expect  a  new  word. 

The  second  thought  imposing  solemnity  on  your 
teacher  is  that  it  is  quite  possible  he  will  never  again 
have  the  opportunity  and  honour  to  teach  this  book  to 
a  class  of  preachers.  Only  once  in  four  years  do  we 
come  to  it — and  when  this  exposition  ends  he  will  be 
sixty-nine  years  old.  Oliver  Wendell  Holmes  insists  that 
nature  administers  the  black  drop  at  threescore  and  ten, 
and  while  here  and  there  exceptions  arise  in  human 
history  of  mental  vigour  and  physical  vitality  extending 
to  fourscore  years,  yet  since  the  rule  and  not  the  excep- 
tion determines  probabilities,  it  is  my  purpose  to  teach 
the  book  now  as  if  for  the  last  time. 

According  to  invariable  custom  in  this  course,  we  com- 
mence a  book  with  a  brief  historical  introduction,  not 
assuming  to  forestall  the  more  critical  and  elaborate 
discussion  rightfully  belonging  to  the  department  of 
Biblical  Introduction,  but  because  you  need  some  reliable 
knowledge  on  this  subject  in  order  to  an  understanding 
of  the  book  itself.  If  an  historical  introduction  be  help- 
ful in  the  case  of  other  books,  it  is  indispensable  in  this 
book,  since  here  historical  introduction  determines  the 
theory  of  interpretation. 

That  you  may  not  be  altogether  dependent  on  my 
conclusions,  I  commend  as  helpful,  and  not  greatly  mis- 
leading, two  books  on  historical  introduction  so  far  as 
Revelation  is  concerned.  I  might  give  you  a  hundred, 
but  these  two  are  among  the  best.  First,  the  historical 
introduction  in  the  brief  commentary  of  Jamison,  Faucett 
and  Brown;  second,  the  historical  introduction  in  the 
American  Baptist  Commentary  volume  on  Revelation  by 
Dr.  Justin  A.  Smith.  You  may  not  understand  me,  of 
course,  to  endorse  all  the  positions  in  these  introductions 


HISTORICAL  INTRODUCTION  13 

taken  by  either  one,  but  I  mean  to  say  that  in  the 
main  they  are  very  helpful  and  the  least  misleading. 
Where  I  may  differ  from  them  will  be  sufficiently  evi- 
dent. 

I  now  also  commend,  out  of  a  great  multitude  of 
commentaries,  just  two  on  Revelation  for  collateral  class 
reading.  You  will  find  more  rubbish  and  confusion  in 
commentaries  on  this  book  than  on  any  other  book  of  the 
New  Testament,  but  the  two  commended  are  easily  ac- 
cessible, and  as  you  may  want  to  make  this  the  study  of 
your  life  on  this  book,  read  these  commentaries  as  we 
progress :  First,  the  same  Dr.  Justin  A.  Smith  in  the 
American  Baptist  Commentary ;  second,  a  little  book  that 
will  cost  you  fifty  cents :  "  The  World  Lighted,"  by  Dr. 
Edward  Smith. 

There  are  two  classes  of  commentaries  that  I  em- 
phatically do  not  recommend.  First,  the  class  so  carried 
away  by  pre-millennial  conception  that  all  interpretations 
must  be  stretched  out  or  cut  off  to  fit  their  procrustean 
bed.  Second,  the  class  so  obsessed  with  the  spirit  of  the 
radical  criticism  that  they  follow  their  presuppositions 
in  minimizing  the  supernatural,  and  particularly  strain 
to  eliminate  the  prophetic  element  from  this  book. 

THE  TEXT 

While  criticism  on  the  Greek  text  belongs  in  general  to 
New  Testament  Greek  rather  than  to  New  Testament 
English,  one  characteristic  of  the  Greek  in  Revelation 
needs  explanation  here,  to  wit:  Its  unlikeness  and  in- 
feriority as  pure  Greek  to  the  Greek  of  John's  gospel 
and  of  his  letters.  The  relevancy  of  some  notice  of  this 
matter  here  arises  from  the  fact  that  this  characteristic 
of  the  Greek  is  pleaded  either  to  disprove  the  authorship 


I*  REVELATION 

of  John  the  Apostle,  or  else  in  support  of  an  early  date 
of  the  book,  which  would  very  largely  affect  its  inter- 
pretation. The  difference  between  the  Greek  of  Revela- 
tion and  the  Greek  of  John's  gospel  arises  from  a  differ- 
ence in  the  nature  of  the  two  books;  John's  gospel  is 
history;  this  book  is  not  only  an  apocalypse,  but  one 
run  in  the  mould  of  ancient  Hebrew  symbolic  imagery 
— one  following  the  apocalyptic  analogues  of  Isaiah, 
Ezekiel,  Daniel  and  Zechariah.  Not  only  so,  but  its 
symbols  are  not  limited  to  the  apocalypses  of  ancient 
prophecy;  they  are  drawn  from  all  the  Old  Testament 
books.  It  derives  its  plumage  from  the  Paradise  and  the 
serpent  of  Genesis,  the  plagues  of  Exodus,  the  Wilder- 
ness of  Numbers,  the  Lion  of  Judah,  the  Holy  City  of 
Jerusalem,  the  Temple  of  Solomon,  the  Jezebel  of  Israel, 
Babylon  and  the  Euphrates,  just  as  well  as  from  the 
apocalyptic  Seraphim  of  Isaiah,  the  Cherubim  of  Ezekiel, 
the  locusts  of  Joel,  the  horses  and  witnesses  of  Zechariah, 
and  the  beasts  of  Daniel.  More  than  all  the  New  Testa- 
ment books.  Revelation  is  enswathed  in  Old  Testament 
imagery.  While  it  never  quotes  directly  from  the  Old 
Testament,  yet  it  is  throughout  reminiscent  of  it,  A 
careful  computer  of  its  allusions  and  references  to  the 
Old  Testament  reckons  them  at  four  hundred.  So  re- 
markable is  this  feature  of  the  book  that  Dr.  Broadus, 
as  I  have  been  informed,  was  accustomed  to  devote  an 
entire  lecture  to  this  feature  alone  whenever  he  taught 
Revelation. 

Of  course  this  necessitated  Hebraistic  idioms  rather 
than  pure  Greek.  But  with  all  this  external  unlikeness 
in  Greek,  there  must  be  taken  into  account  one  instance 
of  likeness  in  the  Greek  of  all  John's  writings — great 
Greek  scholars  have  called  their  students'  attention  to  it, 
and  that  is  that  a  student  of  New  Testament  Greek  finds 


HISTORICAL  INTRODUCTION  15 

John's  Greek,  whether  in  his  gospel,  his  letters  or  Reve- 
lation, the  easiest  Greek  to  learn. 

Another  general  fact  should  be  noted  in  connection 
with  the  inferiority  of  the  Greek:  It  is  the  tendency  of 
old  age  to  revert  to  the  idioms  and  dialect  of  native 
speech  rather  than  to  become  more  perfect  in  the  acquired 
speech  of  a  foreign  tongue.  So  that  the  inferiority  of 
the  Greek  proves  nothing  against  John's  authorship  nor 
in  favour  of  an  early  date. 

We  now  come  to  the  authorship  of  this  book.  "  Who 
wrote  it  ? "  On  these  grounds  John's  authorship  has 
been  questioned:  first,  the  character  of  the  Greek,  just 
explained.  The  second  objection  arises  from  doctrinal 
bias.  Early  in  the  Christian  centuries  certain  men  mis- 
interpreted the  teaching  in  this  book  on  the  Millennium 
and  went  into  such  extravagances  that  after  a  while 
others  began  to  inquire:  Is  Revelation  an  apostolic  book? 
There  is  where  it  commenced.  Just  as  false  interpreta- 
tions of  certain  paragraphs  in  the  sixth  and  tenth 
chapters  of  Hebrews  led  men  to  question  its  Pauline 
authorship,  so  these  interpretations  on  the  pre-millen- 
nium  line  made  the  book  of  Revelation  odious.  A  better 
thing  is  to  show  the  misconception  of  the  interpretation 
and  hold  on  to  the  apostolic  authorship. 

Evidence  on  authorship  is  always  of  two  kinds.  First, 
external,  or  historical.  That  is  to  say,  the  testimony  of 
witnesses  living  near  to  the  times  of  the  writer  who 
otherwise  had  opportunity  to  know  who  was  the  author. 
It  is  the  traditional  or  historical  evidence  of  authorship 
that  is  regarded  as  the  best  evidence.  This  historical 
evidence  is  overwhelming  in  favour  of  John's  author- 
ship. Men  who  had  heard  John  preach  have  left  on 
record  their  testimony.    You  will  find  the  details  of  the 


16  REVELATION 

testimony  in  the  two  commentaries  to  which  I  called 
your  attention  a  while  ago. 

The  second  kind  of  evidence  is  internal — that  is,  what 
facts  does  the  book  itself  furnish  as  to  its  author?  The 
internal  evidence  of  John's  authorship  is  absolutely  over- 
whelming. I  might  classify  the  main  part  of  this  evi- 
dence into  two  kinds:  First,  what  the  author  says  of 
himself.  You  will  find  mainly  what  he  says  of  himself 
in  the  first  chapter  and  the  last.  In  the  ist  verse  he 
calls  himself  John,  and  in  the  2d  verse  he  identifies  the 
John  thus :  "  Who  bare  witness  of  the  word  of  God  and 
the  testimony  of  Jesus  Christ."  Now,  that  "  bare  wit- 
ness "  is  in  the  Greek  "  aorist "  and  signifies  completed 
past  action.  That  is,  the  servant  John  to  whom  this 
apocalypse  was  given  is  the  John  who  had  borne 
witness  to  the  word  of  God  and  the  testimony  of  Jesus 
Christ.  I  know  that  some  are  disposed  to  evade  the 
natural  grammatical  force  of  this  "  aorist "  by  calling 
it  the  epistolary  aorist.  There  is  no  reason  to  resort  to 
this  expedient.  In  his  gospel  John  had  done  just  what 
this  aorist  affirms,  so  that  the  2d  verse  not  only  identifies 
the  author  as  the  Apostle  John  but  clearly  proves  that 
the  gospel  preceded  Revelation.  Moreover,  John's 
method  of  certifying  his  gospel  is  the  method  of  certify- 
ing Revelation,  as  you  may  easily  see  by  comparing 
John  xix,  35 ;  xxi,  24,  with  Revelation  xxi,  8.  But  there 
is  a  more  convincing  internal  proof  of  John's  authorship : 
The  unique  Christology  of  the  gospel  and  letters  is  the 
Christology  of  this  book.  In  the  gospel  Christ  is  the 
Logos,  and  so  in  Revelation.  In  the  gospel  Christ  is 
the  Light  of  the  World,  the  true  Light  that  lighteth 
every  man  that  cometh  into  the  light.  The  whole  sweep 
of  the  book  of  Revelation  is  based  upon  Christ  as  the 
light  of  the  world.    In  John's  gospel  alone,  Christ  is  the 


HISTORICAL  INTRODUCTION  17 

Lamb  of  God  that  taketh  away  the  sin  of  the  world. 
In  the  book  of  Revelation,  all  along,  Christ  is  the  Lamb 
that  has  been  slain.  In  other  words,  unless  a  man  has 
a  purpose  to  serve  or  is  biased  by  doctrinal  prejudice, 
unless  he  be  a  slave  to  presuppositions,  he  must  admit 
that  the  argument  in  favour  of  Johannine  authorship  is 
overwhelming,  both  external  and  internal.  And  I  say 
to  you  now,  no  book  of  the  New  Testament  is  better 
accredited  as  apostolic  than  the  book  of  Revelation. 
You  may  unhesitatingly  accept  it  as  the  culmination  of 
God's  inspired  Word. 

Our  next  question  on  introduction  is  "  When  ? " 
"  When  did  he  write  it  ?  "  Commentators  adopt  one  or 
the  other  of  two  dates.  For  obvious  reasons,  one  class 
say  it  was  written  about  a.d.  68  in  the  reign  of  Nero. 
Rationalists  generally  adopt  this  date  in  order  to  elim- 
inate the  element  of  prophecy  by  applying  its  statements 
to  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem.  The  reason  that  prompts 
them  to  push  back  the  date  of  Revelation  led  them  to 
push  forward  the  date  of  Daniel  and  the  latter  part  of 
Isaiah.  As  far  as  possible,  they  ever  seek  to  eliminate 
the  supernatural  element  in  prophecy. 

My  first  objection  to  that  theory  is  that  there  is  no 
witness  in  history  that  so  dates  it.  I  know  there  are 
men  who  conjecture  it,  but  I  mean  a  witness.  There 
are  enough  witnesses  to  the  contrary  like  Ireneus. 
"  John  saw  this  revelation  just  a  little  while  ago  at  the 
close  of  the  reign  of  Domitian."  Any  reasonable  mind 
must  see  that  the  condition  of  the  seven  churches  of  Asia 
described  in  this  book  was  absolutely  impossible  a.d.  68. 
That  is  the  time  Paul  wrote  the  second  letter  to  Timothy, 
before  John  had  anything  on  earth  to  do  with  the 
churches  of  Asia.  It  is  evident  from  chapters  ii  and  iii 
that  there  has  been  a  long  interval  of  time  between 


18  REVELATION 

Paul's  work  at  Ephesus  and  his  letters  to  Timothy,  and 
the  time  when  John  writes  this  book.  Nero's  persecu- 
tion was  local;  he  never  banished  anybody  to  Patmos. 
Nero's  persecution  while  very  bitter,  both  Paul  and  Peter 
dying  in  it,  was  limited  to  Rome  or  the  nearby  parts  of 
Italy.  This  persecution  which  put  John  in  the  position  to 
write  this  book  is  a  world-wide  persecution  that  reaches 
the  very  outskirts  of  the  kingdom  of  God.  So,  when 
you  ask  me  to  set  the  date,  I  am  perfectly  confident 
when  I  say  to  you  that  it  was  written  a.d.  95  or  96, 
toward  the  close  of  the  reign  of  Domitian,  John  having 
been  banished  to  the  Isle  of  Patmos,  working  in  the 
mines  in  that  island — banished  from  Ephesus,  where  the 
persecution  reached  him.     That  is  the  date. 

Our  next  question:  What  the  occasion  of  the  book? 
Here  the  answer  is  not  only  easy,  but  intensely  inter- 
esting. John  was  an  old  man.  He  stood  alone;  all  the 
other  apostles  had  long  since  passed  away.  The  progress 
of  the  gospel,  mighty  and  triumphant  in  Paul's  day,  had 
been  blocked,  edicts  went  forth  proscribing  every  word 
of  New  Testament  writing,  requiring  it  to  be  burned. 
Women  were  dragged  before  the  legal  tribunals  and 
commanded  to  adjure  Christ  and  worship  heathen  gods, 
or  be  thrown  to  the  lions.  The  fire  burnt  throughout 
all  Christendom  at  this  time.  Of  course  there  was  great 
discouragement.  Now,  here  comes  this  book.  It  is  to 
reawaken  faith,  hope,  love  and  courage  in  God's  people. 
It  is  to  show  them  that  the  clouds  will  pass  away,  it  ia 
to  show  them  that,  however  heavy  the  hand  or  the  heel 
of  the  tyrant,  truth  will  yet  prevail,  and  that  ulti- 
mately the  whole  wide  world  will  be  conquered  for  our 
Lord  Jesus  Christ.  That  is  the  occasion  of  the  book. 
It  was  to  flash  on  the  canvas  as  the  last  scene  of  revela- 
tion the  facts  of  the  future  of  the  churches,  of  their 


HISTORICAL  INTRODUCTION  19 

triumphs  in  the  struggle  in  which  they  were  engaged, 
and  of  the  ultimate  glorious  victory,  and  it  met  the 
occasion. 

As  I  have  told  you,  ever  since  it  was  written  it  has 
made  the  heart  leap  and  the  soul  exult.  Since  the  book 
of  Revelation  no  true  Christian  has  ever  doubted  the 
ultimate  outcome. 

The  next  thing,  what  is  the  book?  That  being  the 
occasion,  what  is  the  book?  Follow  me  closely:  Most 
of  it  is  declared  to  be  prophecy:  It  proposes  to  set  forth 
the  things  that  shall  be.  But  you  must  note  this  modi- 
fication— it  is  apocalypse  as  well  as  prophecy.  The  Greek 
word  "  Apocalypse  "  means  revelation,  unveiling,  and  if 
the  future  be  unveiled  in  that  sense  it  is  the  same  as 
prophecy,  but  it  has  this  distinction  from  ordinary 
prophecy :  Ordinary  prophecy  is  the  utterance  of  the 
prophet  concerning  what  God  said  to  the  prophet.  Apoc- 
alypse is  a  vision  that  shows  you  the  picture  of  the  thing.  ( 
For  instance,  this  is  apocalypse :  "  In  the  year  that 
Uzziah  died,"  says  Isaiah,  "  I  saw  the  Heavenly  King;  I 
saw  his  throne  lifted  up,"  and  there  follows  a  description 
of  the  vision  of  the  throne  of  God — and  that  was  revela- 
tion— apocalypse — seen  in  a  vision.  In  the  same  way 
Ezekiel,  when  he  saw  the  Cherubim  and  the  wheels  full 
of  eyes,  and  the  faces  looking  every  way.  That  is 
apocalypse.    That  is  prophecy  visualized. 

In  the  third  place,  it  is  not  only  prophecy  that  is 
apocalypse,  but  it  is  prophecy  that  is  symbolic.  What  is 
prophesied  is  not  presented  in  plain  words,  as  when 
Jonah  said,  "  Yet  forty  days  and  Nineveh  shall  be  over- 
thrown." But  it  is  apocalypse  presented  in  symbol.  For 
instance :  "  I  saw  a  woman  with  a  rainbow  upon  her 
brow,  and  the  moon  and  stars  at  her  feet."  That  is  a 
symbol.    "  I  saw  another  woman  clothed  in  purple  and 


20  REVELATION 

scarlet,  sitting  upon  a  seven-headed  ten-horned  beast." 
That  is  a  symbol.  Now,  when  you  interpret  a  symbol, 
you  must  not  interpret  literally,  and  there  is  where  the 
most  foolish  interpretations  of  Revelation  come  in. 
Where  it  says,  "  I  saw  a  woman  and  the  man-child  she 
bore,"  etc.,  some  make  it  mean  a  real  woman,  the  Virgin 
Mary  and  the  man-child  Jesus  Christ.  But  a  symbolic 
woman  does  not  mean  a  real  woman.  So  Paul  in  an 
allegory  makes  Hagar  the  Jerusalem  that  now  is  and 
Sarah  the  Heavenly  Jerusalem.  And  when  this  book 
tells  of  a  beast  coming  up  out  of  the  sea,  it  does  not  mean 
a  real  beast.  You  cannot  interpret  the  book  of  Revela- 
tion unless  you  keep  your  eye  on  the  fact  that  it  is  sym- 
bolic apocalyptic  prophecy. 

But  we  are  not  yet  through  with  the  question,  "  What 
is  the  book  ?  "  If  you  mean  what  is  the  book  in  the  sense 
of  its  theme,  the  answer  is  very  different.  Its  theme  is 
determined  by  its  key-passages.  The  key-passages  of 
the  book  of  Revelation  are  i,  12-20;  x,  7;  xi,  15 ;  xix,  6-9. 
The  first  is  the  vision  of  light,  the  second  and  third  show 
"  the  finishing  of  this  mystery  of  the  Kingdom,"  and  the 
fourth  its  glorious  consummation. 

In  other  words,  the  book  of  Revelation  is  designed  to 
show  that  the  whole  world  shall  be  lighted  by  the 
churches,  which  are  the  light-bearers  reflecting  the  origi- 
nal light  of  their  Lord  in  heaven.  That  this  world-wide 
illumination  shall  be  in  the  Spirit's  dispensation  and 
through  the  gospel. 

The  theme,  then,  of  Revelation — God  help  me  to  im- 
press it  upon  you,  for  your  reception  or  rejection  of  it 
will  make  you  a  pessimist  or  an  optimist — the  theme  of 
this  book  is  that  the  evangelization  of  this  world,  the 
salvation  of  every  man  to  be  saved  in  this  world,  will 
be  brought  about  by  the  means  of  Christ  shining,  not 


HISTORICAL  INTRODUCTION  21 

personally  but  as  reflected  in  the  candlesticks,  or  the 
churches;  that  all  the  kingdoms  of  this  world  shall  be 
brought  into  subjection  to  Jesus  Christ  through  the  very 
gospel  you  are  preaching  now,  and  not  by  miraculous 
powers  attending  the  final  advent. 

It  does  not  mean  that  the  world  will  become  worse  and 
worse  and  worse,  and  that  the  gospel  will  fail  and  that 
the  Spirit  will  fail,  and  that  all  the  original  instrumentali- 
ties of  salvation  will  play  out,  leaving  salvation  to  be 
accomplished  by  the  final  advent.  Revelation  does  not 
signify  that  at  all.  I  want  you  to  set  yourselves  afire  with 
that  thought  of  the  key-passages. 


II 

AN  ANALYSIS  OF  THE  BOOK 

1AM  to  present  to  you  in  this  chapter  an  analysis 
of  the  whole  book  of  Revelation.  The  idea  under- 
lying this  analysis  is  that  no  man  ought  to  attempt 
to  interpret  a  book  until  he  has  thought  through  it — all 
through  it — and  arranged  its  matter  in  his  own  mind, 
correlating  its  parts  and  signifying  their  relative  impor- 
tance. The  analysis  proper  will  be  given  at  the  close  of 
the  chapter,  but  just  now  I  submit  some  comments 
on  it. 

I  give  you  first  of  all  the  brief  analysis  of  our  Saviour 
Himself.  In  the  19th  verse  of  the  first  chapter :  "  Write, 
therefore,  (i)  the  things  which  thou  sawest;  (2)  the 
things  which  are;  (3)  the  things  which  shall  come  to 
pass  hereafter."  The  things  which  John  saw,  refers  to 
the  vision  in  the  12th  to  the  i6th  verses  inclusive.  That 
is  what  he  saw.  "  I  turned  to  see  the  voice  that  spake 
with  me,  and  having  turned  I  saw  seven  golden  lamp- 
stands,  and  in  the  midst  of  the  lampstands  one  like  unto 
the  Son  of  man,  clothed  in  garments  down  to  the  foot, 
and  girded  about  at  the  breast  with  a  golden  girdle. 
And  his  head  and  hair  were  white  as  wool — white  as 
snow,  and  his  eyes  were  as  flames  of  fire,  and  his  feet 
looked  like  unto  burnished  brass  that  had  been  refined 
in  a  furnace ;  and  his  voice  was  as  the  voice  of  many 
waters.  And  he  had  in  his  right  hand  seven  stars,  and 
out  of  his  mouth  proceeded  a  sharp  two-edged  sword, 

22 


AN  ANALYSIS  OF  THE  BOOK  23 

and  his  countenance  was  as  the  sun  shineth  in  his 
strength."    That  is  what  he  saw. 

The  second  division  was  "  the  things  that  are."  -  "  The 
things  that  are  "  are  set  forth  in  chapters  ii,  iii,  iv  and  v. 
These  are  the  things  that  are,  and  consist  of  two  sub- 
divisions. First,  the  state  of  the  churches,  not  as  they 
seem  to  be  to  themselves,  but  as  God  saw  them  to  be. 
That  is  the  earth-scene  of  the  things  that  are,  and  a  very- 
discouraging  view  it  is. 

In  the  fourth  and  fifth  chapters,  among  the  things 
that  are,  is  a  heavenly  scene — it  reveals  the  throne  of 
Grace,  with  all  of  its  agencies  and  activities  in  behalf  of 
the  imperfect  churches — and  that  is  an  encouraging 
view. 

Then  the  things  that  shall  be  hereafter  commence  at 
the  sixth  chapter  and  extend  to  the  end  of  the  book. 
That  is  the  prophetic  part  of  the  book. 

Now,  that  is  the  Saviour's  analysis.  It  is  my  purpose 
to  give  you  my  own  elaboration  of  His  analysis — not  an 
improvement,  you  understand,  but  an  elaboration  of  it. 
And  even  as  fully  as  I  give  it  to  you,  there  will  be,  when 
we  come  to  the  interpreting  of  the  book  and  develop  the 
analysis,  a  number  of  subdivisions  that  cannot  be  put 
down  in  an  outline. 

The  first  part  of  my  own  outline  is  the  author's  intro- 
duction to  the  book.  In  a  general  sense  the  whole  of 
the  first  chapter  is  devoted  to  that.  It  commences  first 
by  giving  the  title  of  the  book.  That  is,  its  origin,  its 
medium  of  communication,  its  nature,  how  certified,  to 
whom  certified,  and  its  value.  That  is  presented  in  the 
1st  to  3d  verse. 

The  second  part  of  the  author's  introduction  is  the 
greetings  to  the  churches,  from  the  4th  verse  to  the  8th 
verse.     Following  the  method  of  nearly  all  New  Testa- 


M  REVELATION 

ment  writers,  he  commences  with  a  salutation,  or  thanks- 
giving, or  invocation. 

The  third  part  of  the  author's  introduction  commences 
at  the  9th  verse,  and  tells  you  how,  when,  under  what 
circumstances,  he  came  to  write  this  book.  This  includes 
the  voice  that  he  heard  and  the  vision  that  he  saw,  and 
the  effect  on  himself  of  that  vision,  and  the  explanation 
of  the  vision  by  Him  who  gave  it.  Now,  that  is  the 
author's  introduction  to  the  book. 

The  book  consists  of  a  series  of  revelations,  each  one 
distinct  from  every  other  one,  and  the  first  revelation 
commences  at  the  12th  verse  of  the  first  chapter,  and 
extends  to  the  i6th  verse  inclusive.  That  vision  is  a 
revelation  of  our  Lord  in  His  glory,  and  in  His  relation 
to  the  churches  and  pastors,  with  an  indication  of  the 
mission  of  the  churches  and  the  pastors.  That  is  the 
first  great  revelation  of  the  book.  The  revelation  of  our 
Lord,  not  in  His  humiliation,  not  in  the  state  that  He  was 
in  before  He  came  to  the  earth,  not  in  the  state  that  He 
was  in  while  on  the  earth,  but  in  His  glorified  humanity. 
We  have  before  us  a  vivid  picture  of  Jesus  as  the  one 
who  was  dead,  but  is  alive  to  die  no  more.  This  first 
revelation  is  intensely  interesting — a  revealing  of  Jesus 
as  He  now  is  in  His  glorified  state,  and  in  His  relation  to 
the  churches  and  the  preachers  that  are  to  reflect  His 
light  in  the  world. 

In  thinking  about  Jesus  many  people  use  the  memory 
only,  as  in  Baptism  and  the  Lord's  Supper.  They  think 
of  Him  as  born  in  Bethlehem,  as  cradled  in  a  manger, 
as  a  little  child  in  the  temple,  as  being  baptized,  and 
through  the  Spirit  inducted  in  His  earthly  mission,  as 
the  teacher  of  parables  and  the  worker  of  miracles.  Or 
they  think  of  Him  on  the  Cross,  or  in  the  grave— all  in 


AN  ANALYSIS  OF  THE  BOOK  25 

the  past.  How  intensely  important  to  us,  then,  is  a 
vision  of  Jesus  now. 

The  second  revelation — chapters  ii  and  iii — is  an  earth- 
scene  of  the  state  of  the  churches  just  as  Jesus  sees 
them — not  what  they  suppose  themselves  to  be,  but  what 
they  are  in  the  white  light  of  Omniscience  and  Holiness. 
We  call  this  part  of  the  book  the  letters  to  the  seven 
churches,  but  these  letters  simply  give  to  each  church 
a  view  of  itself  as  God  sees  it.  For  instance :  one  church 
had  a  name  to  live,  but  God  saw  it  to  be  dead;  one 
church  thought  it  was  rich  and  mighty  and  had  need  of 
nothing,  but  God  saw  it  to  be  miserable  and  poor  and 
blind  and  naked.  One  church  supposed  itself  to  be  ex- 
ceedingly orthodox,  and  yet  God  saw  it  was  compromis- 
ing with  the  worst  form  of  idolatry. 

You  are  not  to  understand — I  beg  you  not  to  under- 
stand— that  these  letters  to  the  churches  are  prophecies. 
You  must  not  understand  them  as  seven  prophetic 
periods,  the  first  period  in  which  Christendom  is  in  the 
state  of  the  Ephesus  church,  and  the  second  in  the  state 
of  the  Smyrna  church,  and  the  last  period  in  the  state  of 
the  Laodicean  church.  Some  contend  that  these  seven 
churches  represent  seven  periods  of  Christianity — that 
is  a  pre-millennial  misconception.  What  these  seven 
churches  were  at  that  time  you  will  find  churches  to  be 
just  now.  All  of  them  won't  be  like  the  Ephesus  church, 
but  some  of  them  will.  All  of  them  will  not  be  like  the 
Philadelphia  church,  but  some  of  them  will.  All  of  them 
will  not  be  like  Laodicea,  but  some  of  them  will.  I  say 
the  result  of  that  revelation  is  exceedingly  discouraging 
when  viewed  with  the  first  revelation.  The  first  revela- 
tion shows  the  world  lighted  by  the  churches,  the  next 
revelation  discounts  it  by  the  defective  condition  of  the 
churches. 


26  REVELATION 

The  third  revelation,  the  second  of  the  things  that  are, 
is  a  heaven-scene,  chapters  iv  and  v.  The  throne  of 
grace  in  heaven,  with  a  vision  of  a  Triune  God  and  the 
Cherubim,  and  all  the  angelic  activities  that  are  to  aid 
the  churches  to  do  their  work.  I  would  not  throw  out 
the  fourth  and  fifth  chapters  of  Revelation  for  all  the 
gold  in  this  world.  Every  time  I  get  blue  over  the  study 
of  the  state  of  the  churches,  I  turn  these  pages  over, 
open  to  the  fourth  and  fifth  chapters  and  read  of  the 
throne  of  grace  in  heaven.  That  puts  hope  into  the 
work  of  the  churches. 

The  fourth  revelation  commences  at  the  sixth  chapter 
and  1st  verse,  extending  to  and  including  the  1st  verse 
of  the  eighth  chapter.  That  is  prophecy — the  opening 
of  the  seals.  The  book  that  was  sealed  is  the  book  of 
future  events,  and  now  the  Lion  of  the  tribe  of  Judah 
will  break  its  seals  and  let  you  see  the  successive  future 
events.  What  the  seals  present,  from  a  single  view- 
point, extends  from  the  time  John  wrote  to  the  climax 
of  the  book,  and  the  end  of  time.  It  is  a  complete  view. 
It  is  a  view  of  the  gospel  as  that  gospel  is  preached.  It 
will  be  explained  to  you  that  the  horses  that  come  forth 
represent  the  different  receptions  given  to  the  gospel  as 
it  is  preached,  and  you  are  to  understand  that  that  view 
is  a  complete  view,  except  the  climax — that  is  reserved 
until  you  get  to  the  end  of  the  book.  If  you  want  to 
know,  in  general  terms,  the  result  of  preaching  the  gospel 
until  the  great  climax  comes,  you  have  it  symbolically 
outlined  in  the  opening  of  the  seals,  from  the  beginning 
of  the  sixth  chapter  to  the  ist  verse  of  the  eighth  chapter 
inclusive.  That  verse  is  misplaced — it  ought  to  be  the 
closing  verse  of  chapter  vii. 

The  analysis  next  presents  the  fifth  revelation — the 
sounding  of  the  trumpets.    That  also  is  a  complete  view 


AN  ANALYSIS  OF  THE  BOOK  27 

from  the  beginning  to  the  end,  as  was  the  seals.  It  does 
not  follow  in  its  events  the  seal  events,  but  it  goes  back 
to  where  the  seal  events  commence,  and  parallels  it — it 
is  a  synchronous,  not  chronological,  view  of  the  gospel 
of  Jesus  Christ  as  it  is  prayed.  The  key-passage  is  the 
eighth  chapter  and  4th  verse  to  6th  verse.  That  chapter 
shows  every  trumpet  sound  is  a  response — not  to  a  ser- 
mon as  in  the  case  of  the  seals — but  to  a  prayer.  It 
is  one  of  the  most  instructive  parts  of  the  book.  It 
will  show  you  that  the  world's  evangelization  is  not  to 
be  accomplished  exclusively  by  preaching — that  praying 
has  a  great  deal  to  do  with  it.  Whenever  a  trumpet 
sounds,  it  is  not  a  reply  to  your  sermon,  but  it  is  a  reply, 
maybe,  to  some  poor  widow  that  prayed  while  you 
preached. 

The  sixth  revelation  is  another  complete  view  from 
beginning  to  end,  synchronous  with  the  others,  and  it 
presents  an  institution  under  the  symbol  of  a  woman,  the 
true  church,  as  opposed  to  the  false  church  under  the 
symbol  of  another  woman.  The  true  church  and  the 
false  church  viewed  as  opposing  institutions,  is  the  big- 
gest part  of  the  book.  It  extends  from  the  twelfth  chap- 
ter and  I  St  verse  to  the  nineteenth  chapter  and  loth 
verse.  The  true  church  and  the  apostate  church  viewed 
as  institutions.  The  Bible  knows  nothing  of  a  universal 
time  church,  whether  visible  or  invisible.  There  are 
churches,  and  there  is  a  church  as  an  institution.  It  is 
always  churches  in  Revelation,  but  the  church  as  an 
institution  is  symbolized  by  this  woman.  She  has  the 
radiance  of  the  sun,  crowned  with  the  stars,  the  moon 
is  under  her  feet.  But  the  other  woman  is  dressed  in 
scarlet  and  purple,  and  is  seated  upon  a  beast  that  in 
his  original  appearance  came  up  out  of  the  sea.  He  had 
seven  heads  and  ten  horns,  and  this  woman  sits  on  him. 


28  REVELATION 

She  is  the  counterfeit  church.  The  symbols  of  this  vision 
are  three  distinct  things — a  sea-beast,  an  earth-beast,  a 
woman.  This  section  includes  the  seven  vials,  or  bowls, 
of  wrath.  The  events  including  the  seven  bowls  of 
wrath  do  not  wait  until  the  seal  events  are  passed  away 
and  the  trumpet  events  are  passed  away,  and  then  follow 
successively,  but  it  is  a  complete  view  from  the  begin- 
ning— from  the  time  John  wrote  until  Jesus  comes.  Here 
is  a  view  of  the  true  church  as  an  institution  and  the 
counterfeit  church  as  an  institution,  and  the  conflict  be- 
tween them. 

The  seventh  revelation  commences  at  the  nineteenth 
chapter  and  nth  verse  and  extends  to  the  twentieth  chap- 
ter and  loth  verse.  That  ought  to  be  put  into  a  separate 
chapter,  for  it  is  an  entirely  distinct  revelation.  It  is 
split  up  by  arbitrary  chapter  divisions.  It,  too,  goes 
back  to  the  beginning  and  reaches  to  the  end.  It  is  not 
the  church  as  an  institution,  and  the  apostate  church,  as 
in  the  last  case,  but  in  it  Christians  are  presented  as 
soldiers  under  the  leadership  of  Jesus  Christ  in  a  Holy 
War.  And  that  Holy  War  is  waged  against  the  false 
prophet,  the  beast,  and  Satan.  In  this  war  Satan  is 
bound,  the  Millennium  comes,  and  then  the  revival  of 
evil  after  the  Millennium  and  the  last  great  battle.  That 
is  the  Holy  War,  and  the  centre  part  of  it  is  the  Mil- 
lennium. 

To  show  you  that  these  events  are  synchronous,  the 
same  white  horse  that  came  forth  when  the  first  seal  was 
broken,  appears  now  with  the  same  rider  leading  in  a 
conflict  between  good  and  evil.  It  is  a  war  waged 
between  Christ  and  His  soldiers  and  the  devil  and  his 
soldiers,  and  the  war-song  is  the  one-hundred-and-tenth 
Psalm.  That  is  the  Holy  War  Song.  "The  Lord 
said  unto  my  Lord,   Sit  thou  at  my  right  hand  until 


AN  ANALYSIS  OF  THE  BOOK  29 

I  make  thine  enemies  thy  footstool.  Rule  them  with 
a  rod  of  iron,  as  thy  word  goeth  forth  from  Zion,  and 
from  the  day  that  thou  leadest  out  thine  armies,  thy 
young  men  shall  be  volunteers,  and  as  multitudinous  as 
the  drops  of  the  dew  in  the  dawn  of  the  morning." 

So  far,  four  revelations  have  been  synchronous.  Each 
one  came  nearly  to  the  climax  and  stopped.  Now  we 
come  to  the  eighth  revelation  (xx,  11-15),  the  coming 
of  the  Lord  and  the  general  judgment.  This  chapter 
is  not  only  the  climax  of  the  preceding  one,  which  was 
the  fourth  synchronous  view,  but  it  is  the  suppressed 
climax  of  all  preceding  views.  The  seventh  seal  is  fol- 
lowed by  silence — the  last  thing  is  not  told.  The  seventh 
trumpet  is  about  to  be  sounded,  but  it  does  not  sound. 
It  only  says  that  when  it  is  sounded  the  mystery  of  the 
Kingdom  of  God  will  be  finished ;  and  every  other  view 
comes  right  up  to  but  not  quite  to  the  climax.  Now, 
the  climax  is  the  eighth  revelation,  or  the  coming  of  the 
Lord  and  the  general  judgment. 

Let  me  impress  the  thought  by  repetition.  All  the 
other  views  approach  this  climax  and  stop.  The  seventh 
seal  is  followed  by  silence  (viii,  i).  The  seventh  trumpet 
comes  to  the  world  conquest  and  announces  the  judg- 
ment at  hand.  The  bowls  of  wrath  find  an  end  after 
the  battle  of  Har-Magedon,  before  the  judgment.  The 
true  church  is  brought  within  sight  of  the  marriage  of 
the  Lamb,  which  is  an  unfinished  picture.  The  climax 
of  all  of  them  is  this  eighth  revelation,  or  the  coming 
of  the  Lord  and  the  general  judgment. 

The  ninth  revelation  is  the  state  of  the  saints  in  glory 
after  the  judgment  (xxi,  i-xxii,  5).  This  is  the  grand 
climax.  The  coming  of  the  Lord  was  the  climax,  but 
the  final  state  of  the  redeemed  is  the  grand  climax. 
The  first  climax  ends  all  the  four  synchronous  views, 


30  REVELATION 

and  this  grand  climax  rounds  up  the  whole  book,  show- 
ing the  final  estate  of  the  redeemed  in  glory,  and  of  the 
wicked  in  eternal  punishment. 

The  eleventh  item  of  the  outline,  the  certification  of 
the  whole  book,  with  its  closing  invitation  and  warn- 
ings (xxii,  6-20).  This  section  tells  you  three  things: 
The  certification  of  an  entire  book,  which  you  will  find 
the  most  solemn  attestation  this  earth  has  ever  known, 
and  after  the  certification  is  the  invitation — "  The  Spirit 
and  the  bride  say.  Come,  and  let  him  that  heareth  say. 
Come,  and  let  him  that  is  athirst  come,  and  whosoever 
will  let  him  come  and  take  of  the  water  of  life  freely." 
It  closes  with  the  warning :  "  Whosoever  shall  add  to 
or  take  from  this  book,"  etc. 

The  twelfth  and  last  item  of  my  analysis  is  the  closing 
salutation.  This  is  the  last  verse  of  the  book  (xxii,  21). 
I  have  put  this  general  view  of  the  book  before  you  at 
the  start:  I  would  not  attempt  to  interpret  a  book  that 
I  had  not  thought  through,  and  not  be  like  one  beating 
the  bush  to  flush  meanings  or  conjectures — that  go  oflE 
at  a  tangent  like  birds  when  flushed.  This  analysis  en- 
ables you  to  mark  down  each  bird,  and  bring  them  all 
again  into  one  covey. 

The  theme  of  the  book  is  the  mystery  of  the  Kingdom 
of  God.  It  shows  that  this  whole  world,  every  continent 
of  it,  every  foot  of  it,  all  the  places  that  are  on  it,  lost 
through  the  first  Adam,  will  be  reconciled  through  the 
second  Adam,  and  the  instrumentalities  by  which  the 
gross  darkness  that  is  on  the  world  through  the  usurper 
Satan,  is  finally  dispersed,  are  the  churches  reflecting 
Christ  the  Sun  of  righteousness,  and  the  preachers  here 
on  the  earth  empowered  by  the  Holy  Ghost. 

Let  no  man  impress  your  minds  that  salvation,  at 
the  latter  part  of  the  world,  is  to  be  brought  about  by 


AN  ANALYSIS  OF  THE  BOOK  31 

a  different  instrumentality  from  that  at  the  beginning 
of  the  world.  God  never  had  but  one  plan  of  salvation. 
Settle  it  as  a  fundamental  point  of  your  theology  that 
the  plan  of  salvation  has  always  been  one  plan.  Every 
man  on  earth  that  has  been  saved  to  date,  and  every  man 
that  will  be  saved  on  this  earth,  will  be  saved  by  the 
blood  of  Christ  preached  by  the  gospel  and  applied  by 
the  Holy  Spirit.  Not  a  soul,  not  one,  will  be  saved  after 
Christ  comes.  In  His  first  advent  He  came  as  a  sin- 
offering  unto  salvation.  In  His  second  advent  He  comes 
apart  from  salvation,  or  apart  from  a  sin-offering  to 
salvation.  He  comes  to  wind  up  the  affairs  of  the  world, 
raise  the  dead,  and  judge  the  world.  He  who,  in  his 
theory,  seeks  to  point  the  people  of  God  to  some  other 
way  of  enlightening  the  world  than  by  the  original  plan 
— Christ's  light  reflecting  in  the  churches  under  the 
guidance  of  the  Holy  Spirit — is  to  my  mind  in  his  theory 
(bless  God,  not  often  in  his  practices!)  opposed  to  the 
plan  of  salvation.  There  is  to  be  no  saving  dispensation 
after  the  Holy  Ghost  dispensation,  and  the  Holy  Ghost 
dispensation  lasts  while  Christ  is  on  the  throne  up 
yonder  and  the  Holy  Ghost  is  here  on  the  earth,  a  vice- 
gerent, testifying  about  Christ,  testifying  through  the 
churches  and  the  preachers,  and  the  people  of  God. 

If  I  thought  that  the  gospel  trumpet  was  of  some  base 
metal,  iron  or  brass,  to  be  succeeded  by  a  more  precious 
trumpet  of  silver,  gold  or  diamonds,  under  some  other 
dispensation,  I  should  lose  my  present  high  respect  for 
the  gospel. 

Another  general  remark :  When  we  come  to  the  details 
of  the  exposition,  I  will  stop  at  certain  points  in  the 
series  of  lectures  and  give  you  a  special  discussion  on 
certain  special  themes.  For  example :  the  symbolic  num- 
bers of  Revelation,  as  the  7  in  the  7  churches,  the  7  Spirits 


32  REVELATION 

of  God,  the  7  seals,  the  7  trumpets,  the  7  bowls,  and 
other  numbers.  Then  there  will  be  a  special  discussion 
on  the  antichrists  of  the  Scriptures,  and  there  have  been 
a  number,  and  the  confusion  of  commentaries  is  in  mixing 
the  antichrists.  Then  it  will  be  necessary  to  have  a 
special  discussion  on  the  Millennium.  What  its  pre- 
cursors; what  is  it;  what  follows  it?  Then  a  discussion 
of  the  final  advent  of  our  Lord.  You  may  rest  assured 
that  the  same  Jesus  that  died,  was  buried,  and  was  raised 
again,  and  who  ascended  into  heaven,  whom  the  heavens 
must  retain  unto  the  time  of  the  restoration  of  all  things, 
will  Himself  finally  come  to  His  people  here  on  earth, 
visibly,  audibly,  palpably,  personally,  and  no  doubt  of  it. 
As  His  first  advent  was  the  highest  peak  in  the  view 
of  the  Old  Testament,  so  His  final  advent  is  the  highest 
peak  in  the  view  of  the  New  Testament.  But,  it  is  to 
be  hoped  that  you  will  not  beguile  yourself  with  suppos- 
ing that  every  time  a  coming  of  the  Lord  is  referred  to 
it  means  His  final  advent.  On  this  fact  I  hope  to  con- 
vince you  in  these  lectures.  In  a  certain  sense,  and  every 
time  in  a  Scriptural  sense,  there  are  many  comings  of 
the  Lord. 


SYNOPSIS  OF  ANALYSIS 
Our  Lord's  own  brief  outline  (i,  19) 

Write: 

1.  "The  things  which  thou  sawest"  (i,  12-16).  The 
vision  of  the  glorified  Lord,  source  of  all  light,  in 
His  relation  to  the  churches  and  pastors,  and  their 
consequent  mission  as  the  light-bearers  of  the  world. 

2.  "And  the  things  which  are":  (ist)  the  state  of  the 
imperfect  churches  and  pastors  as  God  sees  them. 


AN  ANALYSIS  OF  THE  BOOK  33 

An  earth-scene  tending  to  discouragement  (chapters 
ii  and  iii).  (2d)  The  throne  of  grace,  with  all  its 
agencies  and  activities,  helping  the  imperfect 
churches  and  pastors  (chapters  iv  and  v).  A 
heaven-scene,  tending  to  encouragement. 
3.  "And  the  things  which  shall  come  to  pass  here- 
after" (chapters  vi-xxii).  Showing  that  by  the 
heavenly  helps  the  imperfect  lower  lights  shall  ulti- 
mately illumine  the  whole  world. 

The  Teacher's  Elaborate  Analysis 
The  author  s  own  introduction  to  the  book  (chapter  i) 

1.  The  title  of  the  book,  its  nature,  origin,  medium,  by 
whom  signified,  to  whom,  for  whom,  its  value  (i,  i). 

2.  The  human  author  identified  (i,  2). 

3.  To  whom  addressed,  first  clause  of  verse  4,  and 
last  of  verse  11. 

4.  The  author's  greeting  and  doxology  (i,  4-8). 

5.  The  author's  account  of  how,  when,  where  and 
under  what  circumstances  he  was  commissioned  to 
write  (i,  9-20).  This  includes  the  voice  and  the  vision, 
the  effect  of  the  vision  on  him,  and  the  Lord's  explana- 
tion of  it. 

L  The  First  Revelation — What  John  Saw  (i,  12-16). 
Or  a  revelation  of  the  glorified  Lord  Himself, 
now  shining  as  the  Sun  of  righteousness,  source  of 
all  spiritual  life,  in  His  relation  to  the  churches 
and  pastors  on  earth,  the  lower  lights,  commis- 
sioned to  reflect  the  heavenly  light  and  so  illumine 
the  whole  world. 
IL  The  Second  Revelation  (chapters  ii  and  iii). 

The  state  of  the  churches  and  pastors,  not  as 


1(  REVELATION 

they  see  themselves,  nor  as  the  world  sees  them, 
but  as  they  really  are  in  God's  sight.  This  is  an 
eartlt-scene  of  "  the  things  that  are,"  and,  on  ac- 
count of  the  imperfections  of  these  agencies  for 
world  illumination,  tends  to  discouragement. 

Note  I.  The  real  condition  of  no  two  churches 
is  the  same. 

Note  2.  The  varied  provisions  for  remedying 
imperfections  adapted  to  each  special  need. 

Note  3.  The  various  adversaries  all  directed  by 
one  leading  adversary. 

Note  4.  The  hope  lies  in  Christ's  "  walking 
among  the  candlesticks  "  in  constant  supervision 
and  continually  speaking  through  the  indwelling 
Spirit. 

III.  The  Third  Revelation  (chapter?  iv  and  v). 

This  is  a  heaven^scene  of  "  the  things  that  are." 
It  is  a  revelation  of  the  throne  of  grace  with  all 
its  agencies  and  activities  employed  to  help  the 
imperfect  churches  and  pastors  illumine  the 
world.  This  scene  tends  to  encouragement.  It 
is  the  sure  promise  of  ultimate  triumph. 

"  The  Things  That  Shall  Come  to  Pass  Hereafter " 

(The  prophetic  part  of  the  Book: 

Chapters  vi-xxii). 

IV.  The  Fourth  Revelation,   or  the  opening  of  the 
seals  (vi,  i-viii,  i). 

This  section  begins  the  prophetic  element  which 
continues  to  the  end  of  the  book.  Its  design  is  to 
foreshow  the  various  effects  of  the  gospel  as 
Preached.  It  is  a  complete  view  from  this  angle 
of  vision  from  John's  day  to  the  end  of  things, 


AN  ANALYSIS  OF  THE  BOOK  35 

suppressing  only  the  final  climax  for  the  time 
being  (see  viii,  i :  which  properly  is  the  last  verse 
of  chapter  vii),  with  the  temporary  silence  on  the 
opening  of  the  seventh  seal,  which  silence  will  be 
broken  when  at  the  end  of  the  book  the  climax 
is  supplied. 
V.  The  Fifth  Revelation  (viii,  2-xi,  19). 

The  sounding  of  the  trumpets,  or  the  gospel 
as  prayed. 

Note  I.  The  key-passage  of  this  section  (viii, 
3-6),  that  every  trumpet  sounded  is  a  response  to 
prayer,  and  not  to  a  sermon.  This  also  is  a  com- 
plete view  from  that  day  to  the  end  of  time,  hint- 
ing at  but  suppressing  the  final  climax,  as  did  the 
seals. 

Note  2.  That  while  it  is  a  complete  view,  like 
the  seals,  it  is  from  a  different  angle  of  vision. 

Note  3.  That  its  events  are  not  successive  to 
the  seal  events,  but  synchronize  with  them.  The 
two  views  are  parallel. 

Note  4.  The  remarkable  episode  (x,  i-xi,  14) 
following  the  sixth  trumpet  which  gives  a  distinct 
but  subordinate  revelation,  and  which  includes  six 
of  the  seven  thunders  and  two  of  the  three  bowls, 
the  little  book,  the  measuring  of  the  temple,  the 
death  and  revival  of  the  two  witnesses. 

Note  5.     Connecting  x,  7,  with  xi,  15,  we  see 
not  only  a  key  to  the  meaning  of  the  book,  but 
this  view  is  synchronological  with  the  seals. 
VI.  The  Sixth  Revelation  (xii,  i-xix,  10). 

The  true  church  as  an  institution,  symbolized 
as  a  glorious  woman  (xii,  i),  and  the  later  apos- 
tate church  as  an  opposing  institution  symbolized 
as  an  harlot  (xvii,  1-6). 


36  REVELATION 

This  also  is  a  complete  view  from  John's  day 
to  the  end  of  time,  only  from  a  new  angle  of 
vision,  and  is  parallel  with  the  preceding  syn- 
chronous views  of  the  seals  and  the  trumpets, 
and,  like  the  others,  lacks  only  the  final  climax. 

Note  I.  That  the  one  great  dominant  adversary 
is  Satan  (xii,  3,  9). 

Note  2,  That  his  persecutions  through  world- 
governments  drive  her  into  the  wilderness — ob- 
scurity— for  a  long  time  (xii,  6). 

Note  3.  That  when  he  had  failed  to  destroy 
her  by  heathen  world-power,  he  causes  to  rise 
among  the  nations  a  new  world-power,  i.e.,  a 
union  of  church  and  state,  "  spotted  like  the 
leopard,"  which  makes  war  with  the  saints  (xiii, 
i-io).  Then  develops  from  this  union  a  Papal 
head  (xiii,  11-18),  who  assumes  all  power  civil 
and  religious,  and  from  these  two  develop  an  in- 
stitution— the  apostate  church  (xvii,  1-6). 

Note  4.  In  this  symbolism:  (a)  A  woman  rep- 
resents the  church,  true  or  apostate,  as  an  institu- 
tion, (b)  The  sea  represents  the  nations,  (c)  A 
sea-beast,  as  in  Daniel,  represents  a  world-power 
over  the  nations,  (d)  A  spotted  beast,  a  world- 
power  dominated  by  apostate  Christianity,  (e) 
The  earth-beast,  in  the  guise  of  a  lamb,  but  with 
the  voice  of  the  dragon,  represents  an  assumed 
earthly  head  to  both  church  and  state. 

Note  5.  In  this  section  come  the  seven  plagues, 
or  seven  bowls  of  wrath  poured  on  the  apostate 
church,  and  the  great  war  of  Har-Magedon. 
VII.  The  Seventh  Revelation,  or  the  Holy  War  be- 
tween the  saints  and  the  emissaries  of  Satan 
(xix,  ii-xx,  10). 


AN  ANALYSIS  OF  THE  BOOK  37 

This  is  also  a  complete  view  from  John's  day 
to  the  end  of  time,  and,  like  the  three  preceding, 
needs  only  the  climax.  It,  like  the  rest,  has  its 
own  angle  of  vision.  As  Matthew,  Mark,  Luke 
and  John  present  the  life  of  our  Lord  in  four 
parallel  views,  each  complete  from  its  angle  of 
vision,  so  here  are  four  complete  synchronous 
views  of  His  Kingdom,  each  from  its  own  angle 
of  vision,  to  wit:  i.  The  seals,  or  the  gospel  as 
preached.  2.  The  trumpets,  or  the  gospel  as 
prayed.  3.  The  true  church  as  an  institution,  op- 
posed by  the  apostate  church  as  an  institution. 
4.  The  Holy  War,  and  the  salvation  of  the 
Jews. 

Note  I.  The  progress  of  the  conquest  of  the 
western  nations,  culminating  in  the  Millennium 
(xix,  ii-xx,  6). 

Note  2.  The  progress  of  the  conquest  of  the 
eastern  nations,  Gog  and  Magog  (xx,  7-10). 

As  this  section  is  a  distinct  revelation,  complete 
in  itself,   it   should   not  be  broken  by   arbitrary 
chapter  divisions,  but  should  make  one  distinct 
chapter. 
VIII.  The  Eighth  Revelation  (xx,  11-15). 

The  final  advent  of  Our  Lord,  the  resurrection 
of  all  the  dead  and  the  one  general  final  judg- 
ment fixing  the  eternal  destiny  of  saint  and 
sinner.  This  is  the  climax  which  caps  all  the  four 
synchronous  views. 
IX.  The  Ninth  Revelation,  or  Grand  Climax  of  the 
book  (xxi,  i-xxii,  5). 

Paradise  regained. 
X.  The  Tenth  Revelation  (xxii,  6-21). 

The  divine  and  human  authentication  of  the 


38  REVELATION 

book,   with   assurance,   promises,   threats,  invita- 
tions, and  the  author's  closing  salutation. 

EXAMINATION  QUESTIONS 

1.  Give    our   Lord's   brief    analysis   of  the  book,    and   what 
parts  of  the  book  belong  to  each  division. 

2.  Give   the   teacher's   elaborate   analysis. 

3.  According  to  this  analysis,  how  many  revelations,  and  how 
many  synchronous  views,  giving  terminal  points  of  each? 


Ill 


AN  EXPOSITION  OF  THE  INTRODUCTORY 
PASSAGES 

Revelation  I 

HAVING  clearly  in  mind  the  analysis  of  the  en- 
tire book  already  given,  we  shall  begin  with 
the   interpretation  of   the   book   of  Revelation. 

The  first  word  in  this  book,  as  in  the  Old  Testament 
books,  gives  its  name  :  Greek,  "  Apocalupsis  " — Latin : 
"  Revelatio  "—English :  "  Revelation,"  They  all  mean 
literally  an  unveiling  of  that  which  is  hidden. 

The  source  of  the  revelation,  as  you  see  from  the  text, 
is  God  the  Father.  The  medium  of  the  revelation  is 
Jesus  Christ.  The  agent  employed  in  signifying  it  is 
an  interpreting  angel.  The  revelation  is  made  to  John 
the  apostle  for  the  people  of  God.  Notice  that  the  word 
"  signify  "  is  appropriately  used,  since  the  revelation  is 
to  be  made  known  by  signs  or  symbols.  The  angel,  who 
signifies  it,  is  the  author  of  the  great  voice  as  of  a  trum- 
pet in  the  loth  verse.  We  hear  his  voice  again  at  the 
beginning  of  the  fourth  chapter,  and  he  reappears  on 
the  scene  in  the  last  chapters  of  the  book.  The  2d 
verse  tells  us  which  John  received  this  revelation  in 
these  words :  "  Who  bare  witness  of  the  word  of  God 
and  of  the  testimony  of  Jesus  Christ,  even  of  all  things 
that  he  saw."  It  is  quite  important  to  know  when  John 
bare  witness  of  the  word  of  God.     The  tense  is  the 

39 


*0  REVELATION  [i 

"  aorist  "  and  usually,  according  to  grammatical  construc- 
tion, refers  to  something  in  the  completed  past.  Fol- 
lowing this  sense  of  the  "  aorist "  we  are  bound  to 
construe  the  2d  verse  as  identifying  the  John  to  whom 
this  revelation  was  made,  and  the  bearing  witness  would 
refer  to  the  witness  that  he  had  already  borne  in  his 
gospel.  This  construction  would  conclusively  establish 
the  authorship  of  the  book.  It  would  prove  that  the 
author  of  the  gospel  is  also  the  author  of  this  book, 
and  that  the  gospel  was  written  first. 

The  only  escape  from  this  conclusion  is  to  make  the 
witness-bearing  refer  to  what  John  now  does  concern- 
ing this  revelation  which  he  is  receiving.  Many  great 
scholars  insist  on  making  this  the  meaning,  and  calling 
the  tense  the  epistolary  aorist.  I  see  no  necessity  for 
adopting  this  latter  construction.  By  reference  to 
John's  gospel,  and  indeed  to  his  first  letter,  we  see 
that  he  there  claims  to  have  borne  witness  to  the  word 
of  God  and  the  testimony  of  Jesus  Christ  and  of 
all  things  that  he  saw  and  heard.  In  the  3d  verse  we 
have  the  words:  "Blessed  is  he  that  readeth  and  they 
that  hear  the  words  of  this  prophecy."  We  know  that 
in  later  times  the  churches  had  readers  who  would  read 
to  them  any  communication  received  and  explain  the 
communication.  The  rest  of  the  church  would  hear. 
We  have  already  found  that  Paul  gave  directions  that 
his  letter  to  one  church  should  be  read  to  another 
church,  and  the  letter  to  that  church  be  also  read  to 
the  first  church  named.  So  it  is  unnecessary  to  go  to  a 
later  date  to  find  the  origin  of  a  reader  to  the  churches. 
The  New  Testament  itself  gives  the  origin.  From  the 
4th  to  the  6th  verses  inclusive  we  have  John's  greeting 
to  the  seven  churches  of  Asia  to  whom  the  entire  book 
is  addressed.     Not  only  all  of  the  second  and  third 


i]  INTRODUCTORY  PASSAGES  41 

chapters  are  specifically  devoted  to  special  messages  for 
the  churches  named,  but  at  the  end  of  the  book,  chap- 
ter xxii,  i6,  we  have  these  words  referring  back  to  the 
whole  book,  "  I,  Jesus,  have  sent  mine  angel  to  testify 
unto  you  these  things  for  the  churches." 

It  is  important  to  note  in  this  connection  our  Lord's 
use  of  the  word  "  ecclesia."  In  Matthew,  sixteenth 
chapter,  He  says :  "  I  will  build  my  church,"  using  the 
term  to  signify  the  institution.  In  the  eighteenth  chapter 
of  Matthew  He  says,  "  tell  it  to  the  church,"  referring 
to  whatever  particular  congregation  the  decision  of  the 
case  of  discipline  belongs.  Many  times  in  the  book  of 
Revelation  He  uses  the  word  church,  and  in  every  case 
the  reference  is  to  particular  churches.  Our  Lord's 
usage  of  the  word  knows  nothing  of  a  now  existing  uni- 
versal church,  whether  visible  or  invisible.  He  does  not 
say  to  the  church  of  Asia,  but  the  seven  churches  of 
Asia.  There  is  nothing  in  His  use  of  the  word  to  indi- 
cate the  existence  of  church  in  any  provincial,  national, 
world-wide  or  denominational  sense.  On  the  contrary, 
He  seems  to  guard  very  carefully  against  such  a  use  of 
the  term.  It  is  true  that  in  the  twelfth  chapter,  without 
using  the  term  church,  He  does  present  the  idea  of  the 
church  as  an  institution  under  the  symbol  of  the  woman 
arrayed  with  the  sun  and  the  moon  under  her  feet,  and 
upon  her  head  a  crown  of  twelve  stars,  which  woman 
later  becomes,  in  the  nineteenth  chapter,  the  bride  of 
Christ  or  the  church  in  glory. 

Carefully  note  the  expression  in  the  6th  verse :  "  and 
he  made  us  to  be  a  kingdom  and  to  be  priests  unto  his 
God  and  Father."  Again  we  have  the  past  tense,  sig- 
nifying that  the  kingdom  already  exists.  It  would  be 
strange  to  make  one  part  of  the  sentence  mean  a  king- 
dom to  come,  and  the  other  part  to  mean  an  existing 


42  REVELATION  [i 

priesthood.  We  know  from  many  scriptures  that  Chris- 
tians are  now  priests  offering  spiritual  sacrifices  unto 
God,  and  so  also  they  now  constitute  a  kingdom.  The 
kingdom  is  now  and  has  been  since  the  God  of  heaven 
in  the  days  of  His  flesh  set  it  up.  It  will  become  the 
kingdom  in  glory,  but  it  is  a  kingdom  in  actual  fact  now. 
The  yth  verse  needs  very  careful  interpretation.  "  Be- 
hold, he  Cometh  with  the  clouds,  and  every  eye  shall  see 
him,  and  they  that  pierced  him,  and  all  the  tribes  of 
the  earth  shall  mourn  over  him,  even  so,  Amen."  Alford 
holds  this  verse  to  be  the  key-passage  of  the  book,  and 
so  does  every  pre-millennialist.  They  are  sure  in  their 
minds  that  it  refers  to  the  final  advent  of  our  Lord.  I 
do  not  wish  to  startle  you,  but  it  is  necessary  to  ask 
where  John  obtains  this  imagery.  Your  attention  has 
already  been  called  to  the  most  notable  fact  in  connec- 
tion with  this  book,  that  while  not  directly  quoting  the 
Old  Testament,  it  teems  and  bristles  with  references  to 
the  Old  Testament.  All  of  its  analogues  are  taken  from 
the  Old  Testament.  The  Paradise  of  Genesis,  the 
plagues  of  Exodus,  the  visions  of  God  in  Isaiah,  Daniel, 
Ezekiel,  and  the  marvellous  visions  of  Zechariah,  furnish 
the  moulding  of  the  book.  Where,  then,  the  question 
recurs,  do  we  find  the  origin  of  the  phrase  used  in  the 
7th  verse?  In  the  seventh  chapter  of  Daniel  we  have 
"  One  like  unto  the  Son  of  man  coming  in  the  clouds 
to  the  Ancient  of  days  and  receiving  the  kingdom."  This 
unquestionably  refers  to  Christ's  ascension  and  exalta- 
tion after  His  resurrection.  In  Zechariah  xii,  10,  we  have 
the  origin  of  the  piercing  of  Christ,  as  follows :  "  And 
they  shall  look  upon  him  whom  they  have  pierced,  and 
they  shall  mourn  for  him  as  one  mourneth  for  his  only 
son."  This  mourning  after  beholding  whom  they  had 
pierced  is  followed  by  the  opening  of  a  fountain  for  sin 


i]  INTRODUCTORY  PASSAGES  43 

and  uncleanness.  It  is  not  the  mourning  of  despair  by 
the  lost  who  shall  see  Christ  at  His  final  advent,  but  it  is 
the  penitential  mourning  that  follows  the  pouring  out 
of  the  Spirit  of  God  upon  the  house  of  David  that  en- 
ables them  to  see  Christ  pierced  and  held  up  before  them 
in  the  gospel  and  thus  find  life.  John  has  already,  in  his 
gospel,  referred  to  this  passage  in  Zechariah,  applying  it 
to  Christ  crucified  and  not  to  Christ  coming  at  His  final 
advent.  The  language  of  the  gospel  is :  "  But  one  of  the 
soldiers  with  a  spear  pierced  his  side,  and  forthwith  came 
there  out  blood  and  water ;  and  he  that  saw  it  hare  record, 
and  his  record  is  true,  and  he  knoweth  that  he  sayeth 
true,  that  ye  might  believe,  for  these  things  were  done 
that  the  scriptures  might  be  fulfilled :  They  shall  look 
on  him  whom  they  have  pierced,"  Since  the  text  "  the 
coming  in  the  clouds  "  and  "  piercing  "  and  "  mourning  " 
are  all  borrowed  from  the  Old  Testament  and  all  refer 
to  Christ  crucified  and  held  up  before  sinners,  who, 
through  the  pouring  out  of  the  Spirit,  are  enabled  to 
recognize  Him  and  believe  in  Him  and  thereby  be  saved, 
we  are  hardly  warranted  in  making  this  passage  the  key- 
passage  of  the  book,"  and  certainly  are  not  warranted  in 
referring  it  to  the  final  advent  of  our  Lord.  The  key- 
passage  of  the  book  we  will  consider  directly.  It  is  the 
purpose  of  that  7th  verse  to  refer  to  the  spiritually 
prompted  vision  of  Christ  by  faith  on  the  part  of  all  the 
tribes  of  the  earth. 

Bearing  on  the  statement  that  the  kingdom  now  exists 
we  may  consider  the  9th  verse,  where  John  says,  "  I, 
John,  your  brother  and  partaker  with  you  in  the  tribula- 
tion and  kingdom  and  patience  which  are  in  Jesus  .  .  ." 
Here,  so  certain  as  John  then  partook  with  them  in  the 
tribulation  of  persecution,  and  in  the  patience  that  stead- 
fastly endured  that  persecution,  so  it  is  certain  that  he. 


U  REVELATION  [i 

at  the  time  of  the  writing,  was  a  partaker  with  them  in 
the  existing  kingdom.  The  loth  verse  commences  thus: 
"  I  was  in  the  Spirit  on  the  Lord's  day."  It  has  been 
the  safe  interpretation  of  the  fathers  that  the  Lord's 
day  here  refers  to  the  first  day  of  the  week,  the  Christian 
Sabbath.  We  have  already  noted  in  Colossians  that  the 
entire  system  of  the  Jewish  sabbaths,  weekly,  monthly, 
annual,  septennial,  and  the  sabbath  of  the  Jubilee,  were 
all  nailed  to  the  cross  of  Christ,  being  shadows  and  find- 
ing their  substance  in  Christ  they  were  abrogated ;  hence- 
forth the  Christian  should  not  be  judged  for  failing  to 
observe  the  Jewish  sabbatical  system.  He  might  observe 
that  system  from  motives  of  expediency  that  he  might 
gain  others,  but  certainly  not  on  demand  and  as  an 
obligation.  We  have  already  seen  in  our  discussion  of 
the  letter  to  the  Hebrews  the  distinction  between  the 
sabbath  and  the  seventh  day.  The  sabbath  is  perpetual 
with  all  its  obligations.  Hebdome,  or  seventh  day,  was 
not  perpetual.  "  Another  day  "  is  referred  to,  and  as 
the  Father  finishing  the  work  of  creation  appointed  a 
commemorative  sabbath  on  the  seventh  day,  so  Christ, 
having  finished  the  greater  work  of  redemption,  ap- 
pointed "  another  day,"  the  first  day  of  the  week,  so  that 
there  should  remain  to  the  people  of  God  a  sabbath- 
keeping. 

On  this,  therefore,  the  Lord's  day,  or  the  Christian 
Sabbath,  John  was  in  the  Spirit,  and  heard  the  angel  voice 
as  of  a  trumpet  instructing  him  to  write  in  a  book  the 
visions  to  be  received,  and  send  it  to  these  seven  churches 
of  Asia.  Woe  to  the  professed  Christian,  and  especially 
to  the  preacher,  who  hears  no  voices  and  sees  no  visions. 
We  thus  hear  and  see  when  we  are  in  the  Spirit.  The 
man  who  has  no  sabbath-keeping  (sabbatismos),  who 
consecrates  no  Lord's  day,  will  not  likely  be  in  the  Spirit. 


i]  INTRODUCTORY  PASSAGES  46 

From  the  12th  to  the  i6th  verses  inclusive,  we  have 
a  remarkable  vision  which  is  the  key-passage  to  the  inter- 
pretation of  the  whole  book  of  Revelation.  The  elements 
of  the  vision  are,  first,  seven  golden  candlesticks,  and  in 
the  midst  of  the  candlesticks  a  vision  of  Christ  as  the 
Sun  of  righteousness.  He  holds  in  His  right  hand  seven 
stars  and  out  of  His  mouth  proceeds  a  sharp  two-edged 
sword.  This  vision  He  explains  Himself:  The  candle- 
sticks represent  the  churches;  the  stars  represent  the 
messengers  or  pastors  of  the  churches;  the  two-edged 
sword  represents  His  word,  or  the  gospel.  The  whole 
vision  is  one  of  light.  The  central  light — Christ,  the 
Sun  of  righteousness;  the  lower  lights — the  churches 
and  the  preachers;  the  instrumentality  of  dispensing  the 
light — the  Word  of  God. 

In  the  next  chapter  we  see  that  while  Christ  is  in  the 
midst  of  the  churches,  He  is  not  there  in  person,  but 
through  the  other  paraclete,  the  Holy  Spirit,  who  is  His 
"  alter  ego,"  His  vicar  here  upon  earth.  John  in  his 
gospel  had  previously  represented  Christ  as  the  light 
of  the  world,  but  since  He  ascended  into  heaven  this 
light  is  reflected  in  the  churches  and  preachers  through 
the  Spirit  and  by  the  Word.  The  object  of  the  vision 
is  to  show  that  the  whole  world  will  be  illumined  by  the 
churches  and  the  preachers  in  the  dispensation  of  the 
gospel,  which  dispensation  is  the  dispensation  of  the 
Holy  Spirit,  for  when  Christ  speaks  to  the  churches  He 
says:  "If  any  man  hath  ears  to  hear,  let  him  hear  what 
the  Spirit  sayeth  to  the  churches."  The  doctrine  of  this 
vision  is  of  incalculable  importance.  It  teaches  that  the 
Spirit  dispensation,  or  Word  dispensation  through  the 
churches  and  the  preachers,  is  to  accomplish  the  whole 
work  of  the  application  of  the  salvation  achieved  by  our 
Lord's  vicarious  death.     We  will  find  in  every  subse- 


46  REVELATION  [i 

quent  revelation  this  ruling  thought:  the  world  to  be 
illumined  by  these  light-bearers.  There  is  no  hint  of 
any  other  source  or  medium  or  instrumentality  of  light. 
There  is  no  hint  that  the  churches  will  fail  on  the  earth 
and  that  some  other  divine  interposition  must  take  place 
to  finish  the  mystery  of  the  Kingdom  of  God.  This  is 
in  accord  with  the  great  commission  in  the  twenty- 
eighth  chapter  of  Matthew :  "  Go  ye  into  all  the  world 
and  make  disciples  of  all  nations,  baptizing  them  in  the 
name  of  the  Father  and  of  the  Son  and  of  the  Holy 
Spirit,  teaching  them  to  observe  all  things  whatsoever 
I  have  commanded  you,  and  lo!  I  will  be  with  you  all 
the  days,  even  unto  the  end  of  the  world."  The  pes- 
simist who  believes  that  the  object  of  the  gospel  is 
simply  and  only  to  be  a  witness  and  to  take  out  a  few 
here  and  there  of  the  lost  world  and  that  light  will  be- 
come feebler  and  dimmer  until  the  second  advent,  and 
then  by  marvellous  displays  of  miraculous  power,  the 
return  of  Christ  in  person  to  supersede  the  Spirit,  the 
world  is  to  be  conquered  for  Christ — this  view,  I  say, 
is  at  war  with  all  the  teachings  of  this  book,  and  of  the 
other  New  Testament  books.  The  Spirit,  through  the 
churches  and  the  gospel,  will  accomplish  all  the  con- 
quests that  are  to  be  accomplished  and  Christ's  return 
is  not  as  a  sin-offering  unto  salvation,  but  to  raise  the 
dead,  judge  the  world,  and  wind  up  the  affairs  of  this 
kingdom  preparatory  to  turning  it  over  to  the  Father. 
The  final,  personal,  visible,  audible,  palpable  return  of 
Jesus  Christ  to  the  earth,  with  whatever  displays  of 
divine  power,  is  not  for  the  conversion  of  any  man.  It 
ends  the  days  of  salvation.  If  we  hold  in  our  minds 
that  practically  the  gospel  will  be  a  failure  and  that 
the  world  will  grow  worse  and  worse  until  the  second 
advent  of  Christ,  and  that  we  are  to  look  for  the  great 


i]  INTRODUCTORY  PASSAGES  47 

forces  of  redemption  after  He  comes  back,  then  we 
cannot,  except  with  a  very  Hmited  faith,  press  the  mis- 
sion work  for  the  evangelization  of  the  world.  It  will 
not  be  in  our  hearts  to  hope  to  see  missions  accomplish 
the  salvation  of  men.  We  may  count,  therefore,  the 
whole  book  of  Revelation  as  a  vision  of  ever-increasing 
light  until  by  the  gospel  through  the  Spirit  the  whole 
world  is  flooded  with  light — and  indeed  this  idea  is 
manifest  as  the  governing  thought  in  every  subsequent 
revelation  until  the  final  consummation  of  eternal  light 
presented  in  the  twenty-first  and  twenty-second  chapters, 
the  closing  chapters  of  the  book. 

In  the  17th  verse  we  are  told  that  when  John  saw  the 
glorified  Christ  he  fell  at  His  feet  as  one  dead.  It  is 
the  uniform  teaching  of  the  Bible  that  the  nearer  we 
approach  to  God  and  the  clearer  our  vision  of  Him,  the 
more  sensibly  do  we  feel  our  sinfulness.  Job  had  a  very 
good  opinion  of  himself  and  talked  boldly  of  his  desire 
to  meet  the  Almighty  face  to  face,  but  when  the  Al- 
mighty came,  and  Job  stood  in  the  white  light  of  the 
holiness  of  God,  though  he  was  the  saintliest  man  of 
his  day,  he  cried  out :  "  I  have  uttered  that  which  I 
understood  not,  but  now  that  mine  eye  seeth  thee,  I 
abhor  myself  and  repent  in  dust  and  ashes."  Isaiah, 
also,  the  saintliest  man  of  his  day,  when  he  saw  the 
vision  of  the  Almighty,  cried  out :  *'  Woe  is  me,  for  I 
am  undone,  because  I  am  a  man  of  unclean  lips,  and  I 
dwell  in  the  midst  of  a  people  of  unclean  lips,  for  mine 
eyes  have  seen  the  King  Jehovah  of  Hosts."  When, 
therefore,  you  hear  one  making  the  extravagant  boast 
of  his  sinlessness,  you  may  know  that  the  boast  argues 
his  distance  from  God  rather  than  his  nearness.  If  he 
were  indeed  in  brighter  light,  then  would  he  be  able  to 


48  REVELATION  [i 

see  the  spots  upon  his  garments  that  are  invisible  to  his 
state  of  semi-darkness. 

This  vision  represents  our  Lord  as  a  royal  priest  on 
His  throne.  The  glory  of  His  exalted  state,  and  of  the 
authority  with  which  He  is  invested  when  understood 
by  faith,  dispels  fear;  though  the  saint  is  so  imperfect, 
His  voice  comes :  "  Fear  not.  I  am  the  first  and  the 
last,  and  the  Living  One,  and  I  was  dead  and  behold  I 
am  alive  for  ever  more,  and  I  have  the  keys  of  death 
and  of  Hades  and  I  have  the  keys  of  David,  with  power 
to  open  so  that  none  can  shut,  and  power  to  shut  so 
that  none  can  open." 

To  the  despondent  Christian,  a  vision  of  this  exalted 
Christ  is  a  sure  cure  of  both  his  despondency  and  of  his 
fear.  It  is  a  vision  not  of  our  Lord  in  the  days  of  His 
humiliation  when  He  had  not  where  to  lay  His  head, 
when  He  was  emptied  of  the  glory  of  His  original  state 
in  heaven,  but  it  is  a  vision  of  the  risen,  ascended  and 
exalted  Jesus  on  the  throne  of  the  universe,  and  as 
His  presence  is  felt  in  the  churches.  Through  the  Spirit 
the  word  preached  by  the  churches  is  the  power  of  God 
unto  salvation. 

I  cannot  refrain  from  reference  to  an  incident  in  my 
own  life  in  the  summer  of  1905.  I  was  on  a  train  in 
the  Panhandle  and  greatly  distressed  in  mind  as  I 
thought  of  the  imperfections  of  the  churches  and  of  the 
preachers.  The  despondency  increased  when  I  saw  in 
all  the  Southwest,  a  territory  larger  than  all  the  rest 
of  the  South,  no  provision  made  for  training  preachers 
to  be  great  and  efficient  in  their  ministry.  When 
I  saw  representatives  of  some  ministerial  training 
schools  coming  into  Texas  and  other  states  of  the  South- 
west with  their  minds  poisoned  on  the  vital  doctrines  of 
the  inspiration  of  the  Bible,  the  deity  of  Christ,   His 


i]  INTRODUCTORY  PASSAGES  49 

vicarious  expiation,  the  transcendent  power  of  the  Holy 
Spirit,  my  despondency  increased  the  more.  How  can 
we  have  in  the  Southwest  a  school  for  the  adequate  train- 
ing of  our  preachers?  How  can  we  safeguard  it  from 
heresy  when  it  is  established?  How  can  we  make  it  a 
barrier  against  the  inflowing  tide  of  semi-infidelity  in 
the  pulpit?  It  was  at  this  very  juncture  that  I  recalled 
to  mind  this  vision  which  John  saw  on  the  Isle  of 
Patmos,  and  so  vivid  was  the  recollection  that  it  was 
to  me  as  if  I  heard  Jesus  speak  audibly :  "  Fear  not,  I 
am  the  Living  One.  I  was  dead,  but  am  alive  to  die 
no  more."  Instantly  my  heart  leaped  with  joy  and  I 
half  rose  from  my  seat  saying  to  myself :  "  Jesus  is 
alive,  and  if  Jesus  be  alive  He  can  manifest  that  life 
now  as  well  as  He  manifested  His  life  on  earth  and  even 
with  greater  power.  If  when  alive  in  the  flesh  He  could 
still  the  storm,  heal  the  sick,  raise  the  dead,  reconcile  us 
to  God  by  His  vicarious  death,  then  surely  after  His 
resurrection,  ascension  and  exaltation,  with  all  authority 
in  heaven  and  on  earth  in  His  hands,  He  can  make  it 
possible  to  do  anything  desirable  for  the  efficiency  of 
His  churches  and  His  preachers.  It  would  not,  then, 
be  necessary  to  rely  upon  historic  monumental  evi- 
dences, but  each  of  us  now  could  have  sensible  demon- 
stration that  Jesus  is  alive  and  King  forever."  It  made 
an  epoch  in  my  life.  It  gave  me  the  faith  and  courage 
with  which  to  undertake  the  establishment  of  the  sem- 
inary of  which  I  am  president. 

In  the  19th  verse  we  have  our  Lord's  analysis  of  the 
book  of  Revelation :  "  Write  therefore  the  things  which 
thou  sawest,  and  the  things  which  are,  and  the  things 
which  shall  come  to  pass  hereafter."  What  he  saw  was 
this  vision.  The  things  which  are,  were:  First,  the 
revelation  of  our  glorified  Lord,  in  His  relation  to  the 


50  REVELATION  [i 

churches  and  pastors,  and  their  consequent  mission 
as  light-bearers.  Second,  the  state  of  the  imperfect 
churches  here  upon  earth  as  set  forth  in  the  second  and 
third  chapters.  Third,  the  revelation  of  the  throne  of 
grace  in  heaven,  as  set  forth  in  the  fourth  and  fifth 
chapters.  Fourth,  the  things  v^hich  shall  come  to  pass 
hereafter,  are  the  things  presented  in  all  the  rest  of  the 
book  from  the  sixth  chapter  to  the  end. 

In  this  interpretation  of  the  book,  while  on  some  de- 
tails the  teaching  cannot  be  dogmatic,  yet  the  main  lines 
of  thought  are  just  as  clear  as  the  main  lines  of  thought 
in  the  four  gospels.  A  patient  study  of  the  book  will 
be  of  incalculable  advantage  to  us.  As  we  pray  and 
study  and  have  faith,  the  assurance  will  settle  upon  our 
hearts  that  whatever  may  be  the  temporary  ebbs  and 
flows,  the  outcome  will  be  that  all  the  kingdoms  of  this 
world  shall  become  the  Kingdom  of  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ  through  the  work  of  the  churches  and  the 
preachers,  and  that  earthly  imperfections  are  more  than 
compensated  for  by  the  great  power  of  God  from  the 
heavenly  throne  of  our  Lord,  keeping  the  lamps  filled 
with  oil  and  trimmed  and  burning. 

EXAMINATION  QUESTIONS 

1.  Analyze  the  ist  verse,  showing  the  meaning  of  apocalypse, 
its  source,  medium,  instrument,  method,  to  whom,  for  whom. 

2.  How  may  a  strictly  grammatical  construction  of  the  aorist 
or  past  tense  of  "  bare  witness "  in  2d  verse  prove  that  the 
apostle  John  wrote  both  the  Fourth  Gospel  and  Revelation,  and 
that  Revelation  was  the  later  book? 

3.  Judging  from  the  expression  in  the  3d  verse,  "  Blessed 
is  he  that  readeth  and  they  that  hear,"  and  comparing  it  with 
I  Thessalonians  v,  27,  and  Colossians  iv.  16,  when  originated  the 
custom,  so  well  attested  in  later  days,  of  having  "  readers  to  the 
churches  "  ?  And  what  modern  invention  superseded  the  neces- 
sity for  the  custom? 

4.  "  The  seven  churches  that  are  in  Asia."  Counting  the 
instances  in  Matthew  and  Revelation:   (i)  how  many  times  in 


i]  INTRODUCTORY  PASSAGES  6,1 

the  record  of  our  Lord's  own  saying  does  the  Greek  word 
Ekklesia  occur  and  (2)  in  what  two  senses  alone,  and  (3) 
since  He  says  "The  churches  of  Asia,"  and  not  "The  church 
of  Asia,"  and  since  several  times  in  chapters  ii  and  iii  He  says 
'  Hear  ^what  the  Spirit  saith  to  the  churches,"  and  not  "  to  the 
church  " — what  is  the  bearing  of  this  usage  on  the  idea  of  a 
provincial,  national   or  universal   church? 

5.  Prove  from  the  use  of  the  word  "kingdom"  in  verses  6 
and  9  that  pre-millennialists  are  mistaken  in  contending  that 
there  is  yet  no  kingdom  except  an  ideal  one. 

6.  Compare  verse  7  with  the  Old  Testament  analogues  in 
Daniel  vii,  13-14.  and  Zechariah  xii,  10-14,  and  xiii,  i,  with  John 
xix,  37,  and  then  answer: 

(i)  Is  this  "coming  with  clouds"  the  final  advent  of 
our    Lord? 

(2)  Do  the  tribes  here  see  Him  with  the  natural  eye  in 
the  glory  of  His  final  advent,  or  with  the  eye  of  faith 
lifted  up  on  the  cross  by  preaching  (as  in  Acts  ii  and 
iii,  by  Peter,  and  in  Galatians  iii,  i,  by  Paul)  ?     And 

(3)  Is  the  mourning  when  they  see  Him  a  mourning  of 
despair  or  a  mourning  of  penitence  unto  salvation? 

7.  Interpret  the  key-passage  of  the  book,  i,  12-16,  explaining 
each  metaphor,  and  then  answer  particularly: 

(i)  Is  Christ  present  with  the  churches  personally  or 
through  the  Spirit?  In  answering  this  question  con- 
sider ii,  7,  II,   17,  29;  iii,  6,   13,  22. 

(2)  Does  He,  as  the  Sun  of  righteousness,  shine  di- 
rectly or  reflectively  through  the  churches  and  preach- 
ers, making  them  the  light  of  the  world,  and  through 
the  Word,  represented  as  a  sword  issuing  from  His 
mouth? 

(3)  Trace  through  the  book  the  proof  that  this  vision  of 
the  world  lighted  by  these  instrumentalities  is  the 
key-passage. 

(4)  And  is  there  anywhere  in  the  book  any  proof  that 
the  world  will  otherwise  be  illumined  or  men  saved? 


IV 


GENERAL  OBSERVATIONS  ON   THE   SECOND 
REVELATION 

Revelation  II  and  III 

THIS  section  of  the  analysis  is  the  second  revela- 
tion, chapters  ii  and  iii,  an  earth-scene  of  "  the 
things  that  are."  It  consists  of  the  letters  to  the 
seven  churches,  and  is  a  revelation  of  their  condition  in 
God's  sight.  Now,  upon  these  seven  letters  I  wish  to 
make  some  general  observations. 

My  first  is  that  you  should  find  a  map — generally  the 
last  map  in  your  Bibles — of  the  eastern  part  of  the  Medi- 
terranean Sea.  That  will  show  you  the  province  of  Asia 
— the  southwestern  part  of  Asia  Minor.  And  on  that 
map  you  must  locate  the  seven  churches.  Commence  at 
the  southwestern  coast  of  Asia  Minor — there  you  will 
find  the  first  church,  Ephesus,  a  seaport,  or  used  to  be, 
situated  on  a  little  river  that  flows  into  the  ^gean  Sea. 
Follow  the  coast  line  north  until  you  come  to  Smyrna, 
another  seaport.  Still  going  north  you  come  to  Per- 
gamum,  or  Pergamos  (either  is  correct).  That  is  not 
a  seaport,  but  is  close  to  the  sea.  The  first  three 
churches,  then,  are  found  by  following  up  the  coast  going 
north.  The  other  four  churches  are  inland,  and  you 
will  find  them  by  commencing  a  little  north  of  where 
Pergamos  is  located,  and  by  following  a  line  south  you 
come  to  the  other  churches  in  the  order  named :  Thyatira, 

52 


n-m]  SECOND  REVELATION  59 

Sardis,  Philadelphia,  Laodicea.  Now,  look  a  little  off 
that  coast  from  the  southwestern  part  of  Asia  Minor, 
and  you  will  find  a  little  island,  barely  discernible  on 
the  map,  called  Patmos.  That  is  where  John  was.  So, 
my  first  observation  is  that  the  reader  should  locate  on 
a  map  the  province  of  Asia,  the  seven  churches  (noting 
which  are  seaports  and  which  are  inland)  and  Patmos. 

My  next  observation  is  based  upon  what  we  consid- 
ered in  the  last  chapter,  that  is,  the  key-passage  of  the 
book,  to  wit :  first  chapter,  12th  to  i6th  verses,  repre- 
senting Christ  as  the  original  light,  the  Sun  of  righteous- 
ness, shining  as  the  sun  in  its  full  strength,  reflecting 
His  light  upon  the  churches,  and  through  them  here 
on  earth  His  reflected  light  is  to  illuminate  the  world. 
The  description  of  this  glorified  Christ  shows  Him  in 
the  garb  of  a  High  Priest,  and  invested  with  kingly  rule 
— a  royal  priest.  If  that  be  the  key-passage,  then  the 
whole  of  this  book,  up  to  the  nth  verse  of  the  twentieth 
chapter,  where  you  strike  the  climax  of  the  book — the 
whole  of  the  book  up  to  that  point  is  what  is  called  the 
Spirit's  dispensation,  or  the  dispensation  of  the  churches, 
or  the  dispensation  of  the  gospel  preached.  Everything 
up  to  the  nth  verse  of  the  twentieth  chapter,  where 
Christ  comes  to  raise  the  dead  and  judge  the  world. 

Now  take  that  key-passage  of  Christ  as  the  light  of 
the  world,  and  trace  its  connection  through  this  section 
we  are  studying,  chapters  ii  and  iii.  In  order  that  you 
may  trace  it,  open  your  Bible  and  read  the  following 
verses — the  beginning  of  each  letter  to  a  church — chapter 
ii,  verses  i,  8,  12,  18;  chapter  iii,  verses  i,  7,  14.  As 
you  read  these  verses  introducing  what  is  said  to  each 
church,  you  will  see  that  the  titles  or  appellatives  applying 
to  Christ,  through  whom  this  light  comes,  are  all  citations 
or  allusions  to  the  first  revelation.    So  all  of  this  section 


64.  REVELATION  [ii-ni 

shows  that  this  key-passage  unlocks  everything  said  to 
the  churches.  In  the  same  way  we  may  trace  the  key- 
passages  through  the  whole  of  the  book  unlocking  the 
meaning  of  every  vision.  The  connection,  therefore, 
between  this  section  and  the  first  revelation  is  evident 
in  these  verses. 

To  impress  that  on  you  perhaps  you  had  better  read 
these  verses.  Begin  at  the  second  chapter  and  read  only 
the  beginning  of  each  letter  to  the  churches :  "  To  the 
angel  of  the  church  at  Ephesus  write,  These  things  saith 
he  that  holdeth  the  seven  stars  in  his  right  hand,  that 
walketh  in  the  midst  of  the  seven  golden  candlesticks." 
Now  that  is  a  quotation  from  the  first  chapter,  where 
the  key-passage  is  given;  Christ  is  seen  walking  in  the 
midst  of  the  candlesticks;  Christ  is  holding  the  seven 
stars  in  His  right  hand. 

Now  the  8th  verse :  "  And  to  the  angel  of  the  church 
in  Smyrna  write,  These  things  saith  the  first  and  the  last, 
who  was  dead  and  liveth  again."  By  reading  the  first 
chapter  you  will  find  these  allusions  to  Christ :  "  The 
first  and  the  last,  who  was  dead  but  liveth  again  to  die 
no  more." 

Now  the  I2th  verse :  "  To  the  angel  of  the  church  at 
Pergamos  write,  These  things  saith  he  that  hath  the 
sharp  two-edged  sword."  In  that  first  revelation  a  two- 
edged  sword  is  represented  as  issuing  from  His  mouth, 
standing  for  His  word  of  judgment. 

Now  the  i8th  verse :  "  To  the  angel  of  the  church  in 
Thyatira  write,  These  things  saith  the  Son  of  God,  who 
hath  eyes  like  a  flame  of  fire  and  feet  like  unto  burnished 
brass."  That  is  the  description  of  His  eyes  and  feet  as 
seen  in  the  first  revelation. 

Now  the  third  chapter  and  ist  verse:  "And  to  the 
angel  of  the  church  in  Sardis  write,  These  things  saith 


n-m]  SECOND  REVELATION  66 

he  that  hath  the  seven  Spirits  of  God  and  the  seven 
stars."  Evidently  that  is  an  allusion  to  the  first  revela- 
tion. 

7th  verse :  "  And  to  the  angel  of  the  church  in  Phila- 
delphia write,  These  things  saith  he  that  is  holy,  he  that 
is  true,  he  that  hath  the  key  of  David,  he  that  openeth 
and  none  can  shut,  and  he  that  shutteth  and  none  can 
open."    These  things  are  alluded  to  in  the  first  revelation. 

Now  the  14th  verse :  "  And  to  the  angel  of  the  church 
of  Laodicea  write.  These  things  saith  the  Amen,  the  faith- 
ful and  true  witness,  the  beginning  of  the  creation  of 
God." 

My  third  general  observation  is  based  upon  Christ's 
own  uses  of  the  word  "  church  "  as  found  in  Matthew 
and  Revelation.  There  are  twenty-three  instances  of 
Christ's  using  the  Greek  word  "  ecclesia  " — church.  In 
Matthew  xvi,  18,  He  says,  "  I  will  build  my  church." 
In  Matthew  xviii,  17,  He  says,  "  Tell  it  to  the  church." 
The  references  in  Revelation  where  He  uses  the  term 
church  or  churches  are  the  following:  Chapter  i,  verses 
4,  II,  20,  and  again  20;  chapter  ii,  verses  i,  7,  8,  11,  12, 
17,  18,  23  and  29 ;  chapter  iii,  verses  i,  6,  7,  13,  14  and  22; 
chapter  xxii,  verse  16. 

Now  here  are  twenty-three  examples  of  the  use  of 
the  word  "  ecclesia  " — church — as  spoken  by  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ  Himself;  and  it  is  evident,  from  a  study 
of  these  twenty-three  instances  of  the  use  of  the  word, 
that  Christ  never  said  anything  about  an  invisible  or 
universal  church.  His  teaching  is  to  the  contrary;  He 
does  not  say  the  church  in  Asia,  but  "  the  churches  in 
Asia."  He  does  not  use  the  word  church  in  any  pro- 
vincial sense,  or  state  sense,  or  national  sense,  or  de- 
nominational sense.  This  is  a  very  convincing  exhibit 
of  the  uses  of  the  word,  as  coming  from  the  lips  of  our 


56  REVELATION  [n-m 

Lord,  rebuking  the  contention  of  many  people  of  the 
present  day  who  talk  about  a  universal  church  here  on 
earth,  whether  visible  or  invisible — the  New  Testament 
does  not  know  anything  about  either  one.  It  is  true  that 
in  the  twelfth  chapter  and  ist  verse,  under  the  symbol 
of  a  woman,  also  in  the  seventeenth  chapter  and  3d 
verse,  under  the  symbol  of  another  woman,  He  presents 
first  the  church  as  an  institution  and  then  the  apostate 
church  as  an  institution,  and  it  is  equally  true  that  in 
the  nineteenth  chapter  and  7th  and  8th  verses  He  pre- 
sents the  church  in  glory,  under  the  symbol  of  a  bride, 
and  in  xxi,  9,  under  the  symbol  of  the  heavenly  Jerusalem, 
a  city.  So  that  we  may  say  that  Christ  used  the  word 
to  describe  the  time  church  as  an  institution,  and  to  name 
the  concrete  example  of  this  institution  particular 
churches,  and  to  foreshadow  the  coming  glory  church — 
something  which  does  not  yet  exist. 

My  fifth  general  observation  is  the  significance  of 
Christ  walking  amid  the  candlesticks,  knowing,  revealing, 
rebuking,  threatening,  promising.  The  body  of  each 
letter  will  show  their  condition :  "  I  know  thy  works," 
or  "  where  thou  dwellest " — and  the  rest  of  the  terms 
to  the  churches  telling  the  condition  of  each  church.  He 
tells  the  things  favourable  and  the  things  unfavourable. 
He  rebukes,  exhorts  to  amendment  and  closes  each  with 
a  precious  promise.  This  unseen  presence,  this  exercise 
of  actual  omniscience,  this  authority  to  rebuke  or  re- 
move, this  diversity  and  wealth  of  promise,  tend  to  pro- 
duce extraordinary  results :  it  encourages  the  faithful 
that  He  knows  and  will  reward ;  it  stimulates  the  back- 
slidden to  revival  and  amendment ;  it  alarms  the  unworthy 
and  terrifies  with  certain  and  speedy  judgment. 

My  next  general  observation  is  that  this  presence  of 
Christ  in  the  churches  is  not  a  personal  presence — He  is 


ii-iii]  SECOND  REVELATION  67 

up  in  heaven,  but  He  is  present  through  the  Spirit,  His 
alter  ego,  the  one  that  came  down  according  to  His 
promise  to  be  His  vicar,  His  vicegerent  here  on  earth. 
Now,  as  proof  that  this  is  the  meaning,  read  these  verses : 
Chapter  ii,  7th  verse :  "  Hear  what  the  Spirit  saith  unto 
the  churches";  verse  11:  "Hear  what  the  Spirit  saith 
unto  the  churches  " ;  verse  17 :  "  Hear  what  the  Spirit 
saith  unto  the  churches  " ;  verse  29 :  "  Hear  what  the 
Spirit  saith  unto  the  churches  " ;  chapter  iii,  6th  verse : 
"  Hear  what  the  Spirit  saith  unto  the  churches  " ;  13th 
verse :  "  Hear  what  the  Spirit  saith  unto  the  churches  " ; 
22d  verse :  "  Hear  what  the  Spirit  saith  unto  the 
churches."  So  that  every  time  He  says  anything  to  any 
of  these  churches.  He  closed  by  calHng  it  "  what  the 
Spirit  saith  unto  the  churches."  That  teaches  that  Christ 
is  present  with  His  people  here  on  earth,  not  in  a  per- 
sonal sense,  but  through  the  Holy  Spirit,  whom  He  sent 
after  He  ascended  into  heaven.  So  in  the  great  com- 
mission, "  I  am  with  you  all  the  days,  even  unto  the 
end  of  the  world,"  He  is  not  with  us  in  person:  we 
cannot  see  Him,  touch  Him,  feel  Him,  but  He  is  present 
in  the  Spirit.  That  also  shows  that  this  whole  book  comes 
in  the  Spirit  dispensation,  under  the  guidance  of  the 
Holy  Spirit  all  through  the  book,  up  to  the  twentieth 
chapter  and  nth  verse.  Christ  stays  up  in  heaven  until 
the  time  of  restoration  of  all  things.  While  He  stays  up 
there  the  Spirit  represents  Him  down  here.  When  He 
comes  (twentieth  chapter  and  nth  verse),  the  Spirit  dis- 
pensation is  ended,  the  gospel  dispensation  is  ended,  the 
gospel  preaching  is  ended. 

My  seventh  general  observation  is  that  the  condition  of 
no  two  of  these  churches  is  exactly  the  same.  Look  and 
see  that  the  deficiency  of  one  is  not  the  deficiency  of  an- 
other.   Ephesus  is  sound  in  doctrine,  but  deficient  in  love. 


58  REVELATION  [n-m 

Smyrna  was  poor  but  rich.  Laodicea  rich  but  poor. 
Pergamos  was  faithful  in  persecution,  but  wanting  in 
discipHne.  In  Ephesus  the  first  works  were  greater  than 
the  last,  while  in  Thyatira  the  last  works  were  greater 
than  the  first,  and  in  Sardis  none  of  its  works,  first  or 
last,  were  perfect  in  God's  sight.  Smyrna  was  attaining 
to  a  crown  of  life,  while  Thyatira,  having  a  name  to 
live,  was  dead.  Philadelphia  glowed  with  fervour  while 
Laodicea  was  lukewarm.  I  ask  you  to  note  this  diversity 
of  condition  in  the  seven  churches,  that  you  may  apply 
it  to  any  seven  churches  in  Texas.  The  same  examina- 
tion of  the  First  Church  in  Fort  Worth,  in  Dallas,  Austin, 
Houston,  San  Antonio,  Waxahachie,  Galveston  or  of  the 
seven  leading  churches  in  any  one  city,  would  reveal 
similar  diversity  of  conditions  in  God's  sight.  This 
application  goes  to  confirm  what  is  evident,  namely,  that 
these  are  real  letters  to  seven  contemporaneous  churches, 
and  were  not  intended  to  be  prophetic  of  seven  consecu- 
tive periods,  the  Ephesian  first,  the  Laodicean  last.  It 
is  a  travesty  on  sound  interpretation  to  say :  "  We  are 
now  in  the  Laodicean  period."    This  leads  to 

My  eighth  observation,  that  Christ's  titles,  and  Christ's 
threats,  and  Christ's  promises  are  adapted  to  meet  the 
specific  condition  of  each  church  as  it  comes  up :  He  does 
not  use  the  same  threats,  He  does  not  use  the  same  titles ; 
He  does  not  oflfer  the  same  promises,  but  in  every  case 
there  is  an  adaptation  to  the  need,  showing  the  infinite 
diversity  in  Christ  so  as  to  suit  the  diverse  needs. 

My  ninth  observation  is  that  you  may  gather  up  into 
one  sentence  the  promises  made  to  the  faithful  ones  in 
all  of  the  churches — make  one  sentence  of  it.  A  special 
succeeding  chapter  will  expound  these  promises  to  you. 
Let  us  make  up  that  sentence  now :  the  7th  verse  of  the 
second  chapter:  "To  him  that  overcometh  will  I  give 


ii-iii]  SECOND  REVELATION  59 

to  eat  of  the  tree  of  life  ";  verse  ii  (latter  part) :  "  He 
that  overcometh  shall  not  be  hurt  of  the  second  death  " ; 
17th  verse:  "To  him  that  overcometh  will  I  give  of 
the  hidden  manna,  and  I  will  give  him  a  white  stone, 
and  upon  that  stone  a  new  name  written  which  no  one 
knoweth  but  he  that  receiveth  it " ;  26th  verse :  "  To  him 
that  overcometh  and  he  that  keepeth  my  works  unto  the 
end,  to  him  will  I  give  authority  over  the  nations,  and 
he  shall  rule  them  with  a  rod  of  iron;  as  the  vessels 
of  the  potter  are  broken  to  shivers;  as  I  also  received 
of  my  Father,  and  I  will  give  him  the  morning  star  " ; 
third  chapter,  5th  verse :  "  He  that  overcometh  shall  be 
arrayed  in  white  garments,  and  I  will  in  no  wise  blot 
his  name  out  of  the  book  of  life,  and  I  will  confess  his 
name  before  my  Father  and  before  his  angels  " ;  12th 
verse :  "  He  that  overcometh  I  will  make  a  pillar  in  the 
temple  of  my  God  and  he  shall  go  out  thence  no  more; 
and  I  will  write  upon  him  the  name  of  my  God,  and 
the  name  of  the  city  of  my  God,  which  is  the  new 
Jerusalem  which  cometh  down  out  of  the  heaven  from 
my  God,  and  I  will  write  upon  him  my  new  name " ; 
2 1  St  verse:  "To  him  that  overcometh  I  will  give  to  sit 
down  with  me  in  my  throne,  as  I  also  overcame  and 
sat  down  with  my  Father  in  his  throne." 

Only  by  grouping  all  of  these  promises  into  one  great 
sentence  do  we  understand  the  riches  of  the  heavenly 
reward  to  the  faithful. 

My  next  observation  is  that  a  calm  survey  of  the 
imperfect  conditions  of  the  churches  and  pastors  makes 
it  seem  impossible  that  such  instrumentality  can  bring 
about  the  glorious  results  set  forth  in  xi,  15 — "  The 
kingdom  of  the  world  is  become  the  kingdom  of  our  Lord 
and  of  his  Christ."  There  are,  however,  two  elements 
of  hope  in  the  picture:  Christ  is  walking  in  the  midst 


60  REVELATION  [n-ra 

of  the  churches,  leading  to  repentance,  and  the  Spirit  is 
directing  and  enabling.  I  know  the  first  time  I  very 
carefully  studied  the  condition  of  the  seven  churches  in 
Asia,  and  then  applied  the  revelation  to  any  seven 
churches  around  me,  with  their  seven  pastors,  I  found 
no  perfect  pastor  and  no  perfect  church.  Every  church 
had  some  fault  or  faults  and  every  pastor  had  some 
weakness  or  faults.  So  I  said  in  my  heart :  "  How  are 
preachers  like  these  and  churches  like  these  to  capture 
the  world?"  and  I  never  got  over  that  discouragement 
until  I  read  the  fourth  and  fifth  chapters,  when  the 
heaven-scene  of  the  "  things  that  are  "  revealed  the  throne 
of  grace  with  agencies  and  activities  helping  the  churches 
and  preachers  on  earth. 

My  next  observation  is :  That  the  doctrine  of  this  book 
of  Revelation  necessitates  the  perpetuity  of  the  churches. 
The  doctrine  is  just  this:  Christ  will  appoint  no  other 
instrumentality  for  the  evangelization  of  the  world; 
the  world  is  to  be  lighted  through  these  churches,  and 
that  when  a  candlestick  is  removed,  another  church  is 
raised  up,  and  that  in  every  age  of  the  world  there  will 
be  some  churches  faithful  to  the  Lord.  That  is  the 
teaching  of  this  book,  and  particularly  do  you  find  it 
when  you  come  to  that  view  of  the  church  presented 
as  an  institution  under  the  symbol  of  a  woman,  and  the 
apostate  church  presented  under  the  symbol  of  a  woman. 
You  will  see  the  woman  that  represents  the  true  church 
driven  into  the  wilderness,  where  she  is  in  hiding  for 
a  long  time;  just  like  Israel  led  out  of  Egypt  wandered 
in  the  wilderness  for  thirty-eight  years,  and  as  historians 
would  have  a  hard  time  tracing  every  day's  steps  of 
Israel  in  the  wilderness,  so  a  church  historian  now  has 
a  hard  time  in  putting  the  surveyor's  chain  on  the  trace 
of  the  true  churches  in  this  wilderness  period.     There 


n-iii]  SECOND  REVELATION  61 

is  no  difficulty  in  tracing  the  New  Testament  history. 
Nor  is  there  any  difficulty  from  the  Reformation  period 
to  the  present.  It  is  easy  to  prove  that  there  are  now 
churches  similar  in  faith,  doctrine,  ordinances,  officers, 
and  purposes  to  the  New  Testament  churches.  But  there 
is  a  certain  dark  period  in  history  that  this  book  of 
Revelation  will  discuss,  when  the  church  is  in  the  wilder- 
ness, and  one  time  when  the  two  witnesses — that  is,  the 
churches  and  the  pastors — seemed  to  be  dead;  the  two 
witnesses  are  slain,  when  the  apostate  church  rejoices 
that  there  is  no  dissent  in  the  world.  But  as  you  watch 
a  little  while  you  see  these  witnesses,  both  of  them,  rise 
up  and  go  on  with  their  testimony.  If  church  historians 
would  write  their  histories  in  view  of  the  forecast  given 
in  the  book  of  Revelation,  they  would  be  saved  from 
many  a  foolish  notion. 

My  next  general  observation  is,  that  though  a  candle- 
stick be  removed — that  is,  a  particular  church  organiza- 
tion be  dissolved — that  has  no  bearing  on  the  preserva- 
tion of  the  true  Christians  who  are  members  of  that 
church.  Sardis^  as  a  church  organization,  was  declared 
to  be  "  dead,"  but  "  thou  hast  a  few  names  in  Sardis 
that  did  not  defile  their  garments :  and  they  shall  walk 
with  me  in  white,  for  they  are  worthy,"  The  church  was 
blotted  out,  but  "  I  will  in  no  wise  blot  out  their  names 
from  the  book  of  life." 

My  last  general  observation  is  this :  Since  Christ  has 
appointed  these  churches  for  the  evangelization  and  illu- 
mination of  the  world,  what  is  the  law  on  the  preacher 
or  the  member  that  destroys  one  of  these  churches? 
Paul  answers  that  question  for  us.  He  says  to  the 
church  at  Corinth :  "  Ye  are  God's  building,  ye  are  the 
temple  of  God,  and  him  that  destroys  the  temple  of 
God  will  I  destroy."     And  I   tell  you  that  is  a  very 


62  REVELATION  [n-m 

solemn  thought  for  a  preacher  who  so  ministers  that 
he  destroys  a  church,  or  for  any  deacon,  or  board  of 
deacons,  who  so  act  as  to  blot  out  a  church  of  our  Lord. 
The  candlestick  is  indeed  removed,  but  woe  to  him 
that  causeth  its  removal.  You  would  do  a  thousand 
times  less  harm  to  reach  up  and  blot  out  the  most  brilliant 
planet  in  the  sky  than  to  blot  out  the  feeblest  little  church 
here  on  earth  which  is  trying  to  do  good.  Every  pastor 
ought  to  bring  this  question  up  in  his  own  heart:  Is  my 
ministry  of  this  church  building  it  or  pulling  it  down; 
is  it  strengthening  or  destroying?  What  a  solemn  re- 
sponsibility upon  anybody  who  takes  charge  of  a  church. 
You  may  track  some  preachers  by  a  trail  of  decayed, 
divided  or  dissolved  churches.  You  may  track  some 
other  preachers  by  a  trail  of  growing,  illuminating 
churches — every  one  they  labour  with  prospers. 

I  put  my  hand  on  a  man's  shoulders,  once,  when  he 
asked  me  to  congratulate  him  on  being  called  to  a  certain 
church.  I  said  to  him :  "  I  will  give  you  just  six  months 
to  split  it  into  shivers."  He  said,  "  What  do  you  mean?  " 
I  said :  "  Is  not  that  the  result  wherever,  so  far,  you  have 
preached?  Go  back  over  your  ministry  and  name  a 
church  that  you  really  built  up."  To  my  astonishment 
that  man  still  thinks  a  great  deal  of  me,  and  the  last 
talk  I  had  with  him  he  promised  that  if  he  was  ever 
a  pastor  again  he  would  prove  by  his  pastorate  that  he 
did  not  split  things. 

EXAMINATION  QUESTIONS 

1.  Locate  on  a  map  the  province  of  Asia,  the  seven  churches 
and   the  island   of    Patmos. 

2.  Show  how  the  key-passage  of  the  first  revelation,  i,  12-16, 
unlocks  the  meaning  of  the  second  revelation,  chapters  ii  and  iii. 

3.  Cite  from  Matthew  and  Revelation  our  Lord's  own  uses 
of  the  word  church  (Greek  Ekklesia)  and  their  bearing  on  some 


n-iii]  SECOND  REVELATION  63 

modern  misuses  of  the  term  "  church,"  particularly  "  the  church 
universal  " — visible    or    invisible. 

4.  Gather  up  into  one  sentence  all  the  titles  of  Christ  in  the 
second  revelation,  and  explain  each. 

5.  Show  vi^hat  the  significance  and  effect  of  Christ  "  vi^alking 
among  the  candlesticks." 

6.  Show  that  the  symbolic  description  of  Christ  in  the  first 
and  second  revelation  is  that  of  a  priest  and  king. 

7.  How  is  Christ  present  with  the  churches? 

8.  Show  the  diversity  of  the  conditions  of  the  churches,  no 
two  alike. 

9.  By  application  show  a  similar  diversity  now. 

10.  Are  these  real  letters  to  seven  contemporaneous  churches, 
or  a  prophecy  of  seven  successive  periods   of   church   history? 

11.  What  adaptation  do  you  find  in  Christ's  variant  titles, 
rebukes,   threats  and  promises? 

12.  Gather  up  into  one  sentence  the  series  of  Christ's  prom- 
ises, and  what  does  the  grouping  show? 

13.  Keeping  the  outcome  in  view — chapter  xi,  15 — what  ef- 
fect on  the  mind  of  the  imperfect  churches  and  pastors,  what 
the  two  elements  of  hope,  and  where  do  we  find  encourage- 
ment greater  than  the   discouragement? 

14.  What  the  necessary  doctrine  of  the  book  on  the  per- 
petuity of  the  churches,  and  what  the  difiiculty  of  the  historical 
tracing  of  this  perpetuity,  illustrating  by  Old  Testament  ana- 
logue ? 


V 

THE  CONDITION  OF  THE  SEVEN 
CHURCHES  IN  ASIA 

Revelation  II  and  III 

I  WILL  begin  this  chapter  with  some  additional  gen- 
eral observations. 
My  first  observation  is  that  in  each  city  of  these 
seven  churches  there  are  three  competing  religions — 
heathen,  Jewish,  Christian.  In  every  letter  we  see  evi- 
dence of  the  conflict. 

My  second  general  observation  refers  to  the  meaning 
of  the  term  "  angel  " — each  letter  commences :  "  to  the 
angel."  Some  people  have  wrongly  supposed  that  each 
church  has  a  guardian  angel.  They  fail  to  tell  us  how 
these  guardian  angels  communicated  these  messages  to 
the  churches.  There  are  quite  a  number  of  Greek  words 
like  "  apostle,"  "  deacon,"  "  angel,"  that  have  both  an 
etymological  meaning  and  an  official  meaning.  Officially, 
the  term  "  angel  "  refers  to  these  messengers  from  God — 
from  the  upper  world — but  the  word  means  messengers 
or  representatives,  and  in  this  book — particularly  in  the 
cases  of  the  angel  in  the  churches — it  means  pastor  who 
is  the  representative  of  the  church.  If  I  were  to  write 
a  letter  to  the  church  at  Austin,  I  would  direct  it  to  the 
pastor  of  the  church,  and  through  him  as  the  representa- 
tive it  would  be  communicated  to  the  church. 

My  third  general  observation  relates  to  the  doctrine 

64 


n-ra]  SEVEN  CHURCHES  IN  ASIA  65 

of  Balaam,  to  which  reference  is  made  in  the  letters  to 
two  or  three  of  the  churches.  You  will  remember  the 
analogue  in  the  Old  Testament  where  Balaam  was  called 
upon  to  prophesy  against  Israel,  by  Balak,  the  king  of 
the  Moabites,  and  God  would  not  let  him  prophesy  any 
evil,  but  he  coveted  the  big  pay  that  Balak  offered  him, 
and  later  suggested  how  Israel  could  be  destroyed — by 
bringing  about  their  alienation  from  God,  telling  Balak 
to  introduce  to  the  Israelites  the  most  beautiful  of  the 
Moabitish  women,  and  let  them  seduce  the  Israelites 
to  partake  of  the  festivals  of  the  heathen  religion  as  well 
as  of  the  Jewish  religion,  and  this  open  communion 
with  the  heathen  religion  resulted  in  the  worst  form 
of  immorality  and  idolatry  that  brought  about  the  aliena- 
tion between  Israel  and  Jehovah.  Now  there  were  men 
and  women  living  in  these  churches,  or  in  these  cities, 
who  taught  that  doctrine.  They  preached  open  com- 
munion between  the  Christian  religion  and  the  heathen 
religion:  "You  come  to  my  festival  and  I  will  go  to 
your  festival ;  I  will  partake  of  your  Lord's  Supper  with 
you  if  you  will  partake  of  the  heathen  feast  with  me." 
Paul  had  already  said :  "  You  cannot  partake  of  the  cup 
of  the  Lord  and  the  cup  of  devils ;  you  cannot  eat  at  the 
table  of  the  Lord  and  at  the  table  of  devils."  That  was 
the  teaching  of  Balaam  as  found  in  these  churches — 
and  very  hurtful  to  several  of  them,  as  you  will  see  in 
the  exposition. 

My  next  general  observation  relates  to  the  meaning 
of  Nicolaitans,  at  least  twice  referred  to  in  our  letters 
to  the  churches.  Some  people  suppose  that  Nicholas, 
who  was  ordained  one  of  the  seven  deacons  in  the 
Jerusalem  church,  mentioned  in  Acts  vi,  afterward 
founded  the  doctrine  here  referred  to,  and  hence  those 
who   adopted  the   doctrine   were   called  "  Nicolaitans." 


66  REVELATION  [ii-m 

There  is  no  particle  of  evidence  to  connect  Nicholas  in 
Acts  vi  with  these  Nicolaitans.  There  was  a  Nicholas, 
doubtless,  who  did  teach  the  doctrine  that  is  here  men- 
tioned, but  what  you  want  to  know  is  not  who  started 
the  doctrine,  but  what  was  the  doctrine.  It  was  a  form 
of  Antinomianism :  If  election  be  true,  and  you  are  saved 
by  Christ  and  not  by  works,  then  it  does  not  make  any 
difference  what  sin  you  commit ;  you  are  all  right.  I 
have  seen  in  Texas  a  preacher  who  was  a  Nicolaitan, 
who  boldly  taught  in  private  that  immorality  committed 
by  a  Christian  cannot  possibly  result  in  any  harm  to  him, 
and  based  his  seduction  to  evil  upon  that  theory.  But 
it  is  the  doctrine  of  the  devil,  no  matter  if  it  be  a  preacher 
who  holds  it,  or  somebody  else. 

My  next  general  observation  is  to  show  Paul's  con- 
nection with  these  seven  churches  of  Asia.  All  of  them 
were  established  either  directly  or  indirectly  by  Paul. 
You  will  find  the  history  in  the  nineteenth  chapter  of 
the  Acts,  where  he  held  his  great  meeting  at  Ephesus, 
in  which  all  of  the  province  of  Asia  heard  the  word  of 
God.  The  next  part  of  the  history  is  in  the  twentieth 
chapter  of  the  Acts,  where  Paul  delivers  his  memorable 
address  to  the  Elders  of  the  church  at  Ephesus.  Then, 
during  his  first  Roman  imprisonment,  he  wrote  to 
churches  in  this  section  concerning  the  Gnostic  philoso- 
phy. These  letters  are  to  the  Colossians  and  the  Ephe- 
sians.  Then  to  Philemon,  who  lived  in  this  section,  he 
wrote  concerning  Christianity's  attitude  toward  slavery. 
Then,  still  in  the  first  Roman  imprisonment,  he  wrote 
to  its  Christian  Jews — the  letter  to  the  Hebrews.  After 
he  escaped  from  that  Roman  imprisonment  he  wrote 
the  first  letter  to  Timothy,  who  had  charge  under  Paul's 
direction  of  the  church  at  Ephesus,  and  when  the  second 
time  he  was  imprisoned  at  Rome  and  had  been  con- 


n-ra]  SEVEN  CHURCHES  IN  ASIA  67 

demned  to  death  he  wrote  the  second  letter  to  Timothy, 
still  at  Ephesus.  So  that  up  to  a.d.  68,  when  Paul  was 
martyred,  all  of  these  churches  were  under  his  apostoHc 
jurisdiction. 

My  next  general  observation  is  to  show  John's  connec- 
tion with  these  seven  churches.  You  may  see  from 
uniform  tradition  that  John  moved  to  Ephesus  as  a  last 
surviving  apostle  and  had  charge  of  all  these  churches 
at  least  by  a.d.  8o.  While  living  at  Ephesus  he  wrote 
his  three  letters,  which  we  have  considered.  One  of  the 
Fathers,  Clement  of  Alexandria,  expressly  says  that  after 
the  death  of  Domitian,  John  escaped  from  exile  in 
Patmos,  and  returned  to  the  city  of  Ephesus. 

Now  we  are  ready  to  take  up  the  churches  in  the  order 
of  their  condition : 

First  Ephesus:  this  city  was  the  metropolis  of  pro- 
consular Asia,  one  of  the  greatest  cities  of  ancient  times, 
having  in  it  one  of  the  seven  wonders  of  the  world — the 
temple  of  Diana,  whose  religion,  however,  was  not  so 
much  a  Greek  religion  as  Oriental,  since  the  Diana  of 
the  Ephesians  was  represented  by  a  wooden  idol,  a 
monstrous  image  that  set  forth  the  fruitfulness  of  nature 
— a  very  different  Diana  from  the  Diana  of  the  Greeks. 

"  To  the  angel  of  the  church  at  Ephesus."  Who  was 
he?  Some  claim  that  Timothy  was  the  pastor  at  the 
time  that  John  wrote  this  letter.  There  is  no  evidence 
of  it,  and  it  is  very  highly  improbable  from  the  fact 
that  Timothy  was  not  a  pastor  at  all,  but  an  evangelist, 
an  apostolic  delegate,  and  even  in  the  second  letter  to 
him  Paul  is  calling  him  from  Ephesus  to  come  to  Rome. 
It  is  not  at  all  probable  that  Timothy  remained  at  Ephesus 
as  pastor  from  a.d.  68  to  96,  when  this  book  was  written. 
So  we  will  say  we  do  not  know  who  this  pastor  was  at 
Ephesus. 


68  REVELATION  [n-m 

What  things  were  commended  in  this  letter  to  the 
church  at  Ephesus?  If  I  was  teaching-  the  book  of  Rev- 
elation to  a  class  in  Greek,  I  would  have  much  to  say 
of  the  shades  of  meaning  in  the  words  employed.  But 
confining  myself  to  the  English,  I  will  say  that  the  things 
commended  are :  "  Thy  works,  thy  toil  of  service,  thy 
adherence  to  sound  doctrine  and  the  motive  that  prompted 
the  work."  All  was  done  for  Christ's  sake.  Another 
thing  commended  was  the  attitude  of  this  church  to  false 
prophets.  "  Thou  hast  tried  them  that  say  they  are 
apostles  and  are  not " — and  just  here  we  find  an  over- 
whelming argument  in  favour  of  the  late  date  of  the  book 
of  Revelation.  If  you  turn  to  John's  first  letter,  which 
he  wrote  from  Ephesus,  the  fourth  chapter  and  ist  verse, 
which  letter  was  written  between  a.d.  82  and  85,  he  gives 
his  commandment  to  try  the  spirits,  whether  they  be  of 
God.  Now,  later,  he  says  that  Ephesus  had  obeyed 
that  injunction:  "Ye  have  tried  them  that  say  they  are 
prophets,  or  apostles,  and  are  not,  and  condemned  them." 
We  will  find  one  of  the  seven  churches  that  did  not  try 
them — I  will  tell  you  which  one  when  we  come  to  it. 

The  attitude  of  that  church  to  the  Nicolaitan  doctrine 
we  have  just  discussed  is  also  commended:  "Thou 
hatest  the  doctrine  of  the  Nicolaitans,  which  also  /  hate." 
So  these  are  the  things  commended  in  that  church. 

The  thing  reprobated  was  just  one  thing:  "  Thou  hast 
left  thy  first  love."  That  means :  "  You  do  not  now 
possess  that  fervour  of  love  which  filled  your  hearts  when 
you  professed  to  be  Christians,  when  you  were  first  con- 
verted." Whoever  has  abated  in  the  love  that  he  had 
in  his  heart  when  God  converted  him,  that  one  needs  a 
revival.  That  is  a  condition  of  the  Ephesus  church. 
Sound  in  doctrine,  sound  in  discipline,  but  they  had  not 
the  love  which  characterized  their  conversion. 


n-m]  SEVEN  CHURCHES  IN  ASIA  69 

How  would  that  affect  you,  brothers  and  sisters?  It 
hits  me  sometimes — not  all  the  time.  I  can  never  forget 
the  love  in  my  heart  for  God  and  man  when  God  con- 
verted me.  At  times  it  has  abated,  but  characteristically 
it  remains  with  me,  and  many  a  time  has  even  gone 
l>eyond  what  it  was  when  I  was  first  converted. 

Let  us  look,  then,  at  the  exhortation  to  this  church: 
"  Repent  and  do  thy  first  works  " — that  is  to  say,  in 
the  spirit  of  the  love  as  you  did  at  first.  The  threat: 
"  If  you  do  not,  I  will  come  and  remove  thy  candlestick." 
We  do  know  that  the  Ephesus  candlestick  was  removed. 

The  church  at  Smyrna :  Smyrna  for  more  than  two 
thousand  years  had  been  a  city — it  is  a  city  now,  as 
it  has  now  a  population  of  about  200,000,  and  three- 
fourths  of  the  population  to-day  are  nominally  Chris- 
tians: whether  Greek  Catholics,  Roman  Catholics  or 
Protestants.  It  is  the  seat  of  great  commerce,  situated 
as  it  is  with  such  a  splendid  harbour  on  the  ^gean  Sea. 

"  And  to  the  angel  of  the  church  at  Smyrna  " — who 
was  that  angel?  I  can  tell  you  this  time.  In  a.d.  168 
a  pastor  of  that  church,  Polycarp,  was  martyred  under 
the  rule  of  Marcus  Aurelius,  the  Roman  Emperor.  As 
he  was  about  to  be  executed  he  said  to  the  proconsul  who 
governed  the  province :  "  I  have  been  a  Christian  eighty- 
six  years."  Subtract  86  from  168,  and  you  find  that  he 
was  converted  in  a.d.  82.  Now  we  know  that  he  was  a 
pastor  in  a.d.  108,  for  Ignatius  in  his  writings  says  he 
visited  Polycarp,  the  pastor  at  Smyrna,  that  year.  Ter- 
tullian,  Ireneus,  Eusebius,  all  say  that  Polycarp  was  made 
pastor  at  Smyrna  under  the  administration  of  the  apostle 
John,  and  if  he  was  converted  in  a.d.  82  he  would  have 
been  a  Christian  fourteen  years  when  this  letter  was 
written.  That  is  time  enough  for  him  to  become  pastor 
of  the  church.     He  was  one  of  John's  own  converts. 


70  REVELATION  [n-ra 

John  went  to  Asia  about  a.d.  8o,  and  in  a.d.  82  Polycarp 
was  converted,  and  when  he  became  a  preacher  he  was 
installed  as  pastor  of  the  church  at  Smyrna. 

Now,  what  things  are  commended  here ?  "I  know 
thy  tribulations  and  thy  poverty,  but  thou  art  rich" — 
while  in  this  world's  goods  the  members  of  the  church 
were  poor,  in  spiritual  things  they  were  rich.  We  will 
find,  when  we  come  to  Laodicea,  the  exact  reverse :  they 
were  rich  in  this  world's  goods,  but  in  the  sight  of  God 
they  were  miserable,  poor,  blind  and  naked. 

We  notice  in  this  letter  to  the  church  at  Smyrna  the 
attitude  of  the  Jewish  religion  to  Christianity — "  the 
synagogue  of  Satan  "—those  who  say  they  are  Jews  and 
are  not.  That  is,  they  claim  to  be  Jews  on  account  of 
fleshly  descent  from  Abraham,  but  they  are  not  the 
spiritual  descendants  of  Abraham.  So  that  the  Jewish 
church  existed  there  as  the  bitterest  enemy  of  the  Chris- 
tian church.  They  are  the  people  who  accused  Polycarp 
in  A.D.  168,  they  brought  the  wood  to  burn  him  at  the 
stake,  and  helped  to  pile  the  fagots  on  the  fire  as  he 
was  burning.  You  will  notice  that  it  makes  no  difference 
as  to  the  mere  form  of  organization,  whether  Christian 
or  Jewish,  it  is  the  devil  who  is  the  real  author  of  the 
evil,  and  hence  it  says  here  that  "  Satan  shall  cast  many 
of  you  into  prison."  Satan  can  work  just  as  well,  or 
maybe  a  little  better,  through  one  who  claims  to  be  re- 
ligious and  is  not,  than  through  an  outsider. 

There  is  no  censure  on  the  church  at  Smyrna.  There 
is  an  exhortation  to  be  faithful  unto  death.  "  They  will 
put  you  to  death,  but  I  will  give  you  the  crown  of  life." 
As  it  is  expressed  in  Christ's  address  to  the  apostles: 
"  Fear  not  them  who  kill  the  body  but  are  not  able  to 
kill  the  soul ;  rather  fear  him  who  is  able  to  destroy 
both  soul  and  body  in  hell,"  and  though  they  kill  you  in 


n-m]  SEVEN  CHURCHES  IN  ASIA  71 

the  body,  which  is  the  first  death,  I  assure  you  you  will 
not  be  hurt  by  the  second  death. 

Pergamos :  This  is  a  city,  at  the  present  time,  of  about 
30,000  inhabitants.  One-tenth  of  them  are  professing 
Christians,  either  Greek  Catholics,  Roman  Catholics  or 
Protestants  of  some  kind.  The  heathen  religion  in  this 
city  was  the  dominant  force  of  evil,  the  patron  deity  was 
the  demigod  Esculapius, — that  is,  the  physician  god, — ' 
but  there  were  also  temples  in  the  city  to  Jupiter,  Minerva, 
Apollo,  Venus  and  Bacchus.  Hence  "  I  know  where 
thou  dwellest,  where  Satan's  throne  is  " — that  is  to  say, 
the  heathen  religion  in  the  city  of  Pergamos  was  the 
religion  of  state,  and  enforced  tests  of  allegiance  on 
pain  of  death. 

What  is  commended  here?  That  they  hold  fast,  not- 
withstanding the  persecuting  test,  and  do  not  deny  Jesus 
Christ.  Particularly  was  that  so  in  the  case  of  their 
illustrious  pastor,  Antipas,  who  is  mentioned  here.  When 
the  heathen  authority  demanded  of  him  that  he  turn 
loose  Christianity  and  avow  the  heathen  religion,  he  held 
fast  and  did  not  deny,  and  suffered  death. 

What  is  reprobated  in  this  church?  That  it  did  not 
exercise  gospel  discipline ;  they  retained  in  their  mem- 
bers Balaamites  and  Nicolaitans.  I  doubt  not  that  it 
was  fear  that  prompted  many  of  them,  after  the  pastor 
was  put  to  death,  to  say  this :  "  I  will  submit  to  the 
government  test,  at  least  have  open  communion  with 
the  heathen ;  I  will  partake  of  their  feasts  and  the  things 
sacrificed  to  the  idols."  Some  of  them  were  following 
the  doctrine  of  Nicholas,  saying:  "  If  you  are  a  Christian 
it  doesn't  make  any  difference  what  you  do."  The  ex- 
hortation calls  on  them  to  repent,  or  else  judgment  from 
the  sword  that  issues  from  the  mouth  of  Jesus  Christ 
shall  come  upon  them. 


72  REVELATION  [n-ni 

The  next  church  is  Thyatira.  This  inland  church  is 
commended  for  the  following  things :  Love,  faith,  service, 
patience,  and  unlike  the  church  at  Ephesus,  its  last  works 
were  better  than  its  first.  In  Ephesus  the  first  works 
were  the  best,  and  the  last  works  not  up  to  the  mark  on 
account  of  having  lost  their  love. 

What  things  are  reprobated?  They  had  not  exercised 
discipline :  "  Thou  hast  that  woman  Jezebel,  who  claims 
to  be  a  prophet."  That  demand  in  John's  first  letter 
and  4th  verse  to  try  them  that  say  they  are  prophets 
and  apostles  was  disregarded.  In  this  case  great  trouble 
came  to  the  church  from  a  woman.  When  a  woman  is 
good  she  is  better  than  a  man,  but  when  she  is  bad  she 
is  worse  than  a  man.  The  woman  has  much  to  do  with 
Christianity;  they  are  for  or  against  it,  and  the  man 
who  does  not  recognize  the  might  of  woman's  influence 
is  blind.  That  is  why  I  rejoice  to  co-operate  in  every 
good  work  which  the  women  undertake.  I  wish  to 
assure  you  that  Lydia,  who  is  mentioned  in  the  sixteenth 
chapter  of  Acts,  as  being  a  woman  of  Thyatira,  is  not 
the  Jezebel  who  is  mentioned  here;  it  is  a  slander  on 
Lydia.  It  is  every  way  improbable  that  Lydia  of  a.d.  52 
is  the  Jezebel  of  a.d.  96.  I  am  more  inclined  to  think 
she  was  the  wife  of  the  pastor.  I  do  not  know  who  the 
pastor  was.  You  pastors,  your  wives  will  be  mighty 
where  you  work — mighty  for  good  or  mighty  for  evil. 
Anyhow,  this  Jezebel  claimed  be  a  prophetess,  and  that 
this  prophetic  spirit  told  her  that  open  communion  with 
heathenism  had  no  harm  in  it.  Now  comes  the  great 
text  for  the  preacher :  "  I  gave  her  the  space  to  repent, 
and  she  repented  not."  As  a  young  preacher,  in  every 
revival  meeting  I  preached  on  "  the  space  to  repent," 
emphasizing  the  fact  that  beyond  that  allotted  time  there 
was  no  hope  of  salvation.    This  woman  crossed  the  bound- 


n-m]  SEVEN  CHURCHES  IN  ASIA  73 

ary  line,  she  sinned  against  the  Holy  Spirit  and  her 
sin,  therefore,  had  never  forgiveness,  either  in  this  world 
or  in  the  next.  There  is  such  a  boundary  line  and  then 
no  more  space  for  repentance. 

There  is  reference  in  this  letter  to  "  the  depths  of 
Satan."  It  is  a  little  difficult  to  translate  the  Greek  so 
as  to  convey  the  right  idea.  It  is  quite  probable  that 
this  is  the  thought:  The  Gnostic  philosophers  claimed 
that  they  had  a  new  knowledge,  later  and  better  than 
any  revelation,  as  if  to  say :  "  You  know  what  Paul  says, 
and  you  know  what  John  said,  but  we  have  the  depths  of 
a  later  and  better  knowledge."  Our  Lord  admits  the 
depths,  but  declares  them  "  the  depths  of  Satan." 

Sardis :  This  city  is  the  capital  of  Croesus,  said  to  be  the 
richest  man  in  the  world  in  his  day.  You  read  how 
Cyrus  captured  him  and  destroyed  his  empire.  Sardis, 
his  capital,  was  always  a  city  of  great  wealth.  There 
is  no  commendation  in  this  letter,  except  toward  the 
last  he  says :  "  There  are  a  few  in  Sardis  " — not  many — 
"  who  have  not  defiled  their  garments,"  but  the  church 
was  absorbed  in  the  acquisition  of  wealth  and  swallowed 
up  in  worldly-mindedness.  It  is  distinctly  stated :  "  None 
of  thy  works  are  perfect."  We  have  found  heretofore 
something  exceptionally  good  to  commend — especially  in 
the  case  of  Smyrna.  But  the  church  at  Sardis  had  no 
excellence  in  any  direction,  whether  in  growth,  fellow- 
ship or  mission  work :  "  None  of  thy  works  are  perfect," 
hence  the  exhortation  to  repent  is  accompanied  by  this 
sharp  threat :  "  Repent,  or  I  will  come  like  a  thief  in  the 
night  and  visit  you  with  my  judgment."  This  is  a  coming 
of  the  Lord,  but  not  His  final  advent.  It  is  like  that 
coming  in  His  other  great  prophecy,  concerning  the  evil 
servant  who  said  in  his  heart,  "  My  lord  tarrieth,"  and 
began  to  beat  his  fellow-servants  and  to  eat  and  drink 


74  REVELATION  [n-ra 

with  drunken,  to  whom  in  an  unsuspected  hour  the  lord 
came,  cut  him  asunder  and  appointed  a  portion  with 
hypocrites  (Matthew  xxiv,  48-51) ;  or  Hke  the  rich  fool 
who  heard  the  summons :  "  This  night  shall  thy  soul  be 
required  of  thee." 

The  sixth  church  is  Philadelphia.  This  was  the  small- 
est and  weakest,  and  apparently  the  most  insignificant 
of  the  churches.  Philadelphia  was  only  a  village  situated 
on  the  top  of  a  volcanic  range  of  mountains;  earthquakes 
destroyed  the  place  two  or  three  times.  There  is  no 
reproof  of  this  church — all  is  commendation.  An  open 
door  is  set  before  it.  The  persecuting  Jews  were  to  fall 
down  before  it  and  know  that  the  Lord  loved  it.  There 
is  a  sweeping  promise :  "  I  will  keep  thee  from  the  hour 
of  trial,  that  hour  which  is  to  come  upon  the  whole  world 
to  try  them."  It  is  difficult,  in  the  light  of  subsequent 
history,  to  define  precisely  this  "  hour  of  trial."  It  may 
refer  in  part  to  the  great  apostasy  mentioned  by  Paul 
(II  Thessalonians  ii,  3-4)  which  developed  into  the 
Roman  hierarchy  discussed  in  this  book  (Chapter  XVII). 
Or  in  part  to  the  rise  of  Mahometism,  a.d.  600,  and 
which  by  a.d.  1392  had  conquered  all  the  territory  in 
which  these  churches  were  located.  At  any  rate,  Dr. 
Justin  A.  Smith,  at  this  point,  quotes  from  the  infidel 
historian,  Edward  Gibbon,  "  Decline  and  Fall  of  the 
Roman  Empire,"  referring  to  this  Turkish  conquest:  "  in 
the  loss  of  Ephesus  the  Christians  deplored  the  fall  of 
the  first  angel,  the  extinction  of  the  first  candlestick  of 
the  Revelation  ;  the  desolation  is  complete,  and  the  Temple 
of  Diana  or  the  church  of  Mary  will  equally  elude  the 
search  of  the  curious  traveller.  The  circus  and  three 
stately  theatres  of  Laodicea  are  now  peopled  with  wolves 
and  foxes;  Sardis  is  reduced  to  a  miserable  village; 
the  god  of  Mahomet,  without  a  rival  or  a  son,  is  invoked 


ii-iii]  SEVEN  CHURCHES  IN  ASIA  75 

in  the  Mosques  of  Thyatira  and  Pergamos,  and  the  pop- 
ulousness  of  Smyrna  is  supported  by  the  foreign  trade 
of  the  Franks  and  Armenians.  Philadelphia  alone  has 
been  saved  by  prophecy  or  by  courage.  At  a  distance 
from  the  sea,  forgotten  by  the  Emperors,  encompassed 
on  all  sides  by  the  Turks,  her  valiant  citizens  defended 
their  religion  and  freedom  above  fourscore  years,  and 
at  length  capitulated  with  the  proudest  of  the  Ottomans. 
Among  the  Greek  colonies  and  churches  of  Asia,  Phila- 
delphia is  still  erect — a  column  in  the  scene  of  ruins — a 
pleasing  example  that  the  paths  of  honour  and  safety 
may  sometimes  be  the  same."  So  this  church  survived 
at  least  thirteen  hundred  years,  long  after  the  other  six 
had  passed  away.  Indeed,  the  "  pillar  "  to  which  Gibbon 
refers  still  stands,  as  if  to  accentuate  the  promise  in 
verse  12,  "  I  will  make  him  a  pillar  in  the  temple  of  my 
God  " — what  a  glorious  thing  for  that  weak  church.  Paul 
once  wrote  about  Ephesus :  "  I  will  tarry  at  Ephesus 
until  the  Pentecost,  for  a  great  door  is  opened  unto  me, 
and  there  are  many  adversaries,"  but  the  Ephesus  door 
had  been  shut  a  long  time  with  the  Philadelphia  door 
still  open.  There  on  the  mountain-top  the  faithful  pastor 
and  the  faithful  little  village  church  were  leading  the 
people  to  Christ.  The  "  open  door  "  connects  suitably 
with  the  words  of  our  Lord  in  the  first  revelation :  "  I 
have  the  keys  of  death  and  Hades,"  and  with  the  begin- 
ning of  this  letter:  "  I  have  the  key  of  David." 

We  may  also  compare  Matthew  xvi,  19,  "  I  will  give 
unto  you  the  keys  of  the  kingdom  of  heaven."  But  the 
"  keys "  of  the  three  passages  are  not  the  same ;  the 
ideas  are  different : 

I.  The  keys  of  the  Kingdom  mean  apostolic  or  church 
authority  to  declare  the  terms  of  entrance  into  or  rejec- 
tion from  the  Kingdom  of  Heaven,  illustrated  by  the  latter 


76  REVELATION  [ii-m 

clause  of  Matthew  xvi,  19;  xviii,  18;  John  xx,  23 ;  Acts  ii, 
38;  V,  9;  viii,  20-23;  X,  43;  xvi,  30-31. 

2.  The  keys  of  death  and  Hades  mean  Christ's  authority 
over  the  death  of  the  body  and  to  open  the  state  or  place 
of  disembodied  souls.  As  when  He  says :  "  The  gates  of 
Hades  shall  not  prevail  against  the  church,"  i.e.,  the  death 
of  disciples,  sending  their  souls  into  the  spirit-world, 
shall  never  so  prevail  as  to  leave  no  surviving  church  on 
earth.  Or  when  it  is  said :  "  Thou  wilt  not  abandon  my 
soul  unto  Hades"  (Acts  ii,  27),  i.e.,  my  soul  will  not 
continue  disembodied,  for  my  body  will  be  raised  (Acts  ii, 
31 ).  The  same  authority  over  the  dead  would  not  permit 
Lazarus  to  return  to  the  earth  to  warn  the  brothers  of  the 
rich  man,  nor  permit  the  prayers  of  the  lost  rich  man  to 
relieve  his  own  condition,  nor  to  intervene  for  his  kindred 
on  earth  (Luke  xvi,  23-31).  This  authority  exempted 
Enoch  and  Elijah  from  death  as  it  will  exempt  living 
Christians  at  His  final  advent  (I  Corinthians  xv,  55-56), 
brings  back  with  Him  the  souls  of  the  saints  in  heaven 
when  He  returns  (I  Thessalonians  iv,  14),  and  causes 
both  the  grave  to  give  up  its  dead  bodies  and  Hades  to 
give  up  its  disembodied  souls  at  the  judgment  (Revela- 
tion XX,  13). 

3.  The  key  of  Daznd  means  Christ's  authority  to  con- 
fer great  opportunities  for  saving  men,  as  here  in  our 
passage,  and  in  I  Corinthians  xvi,  8-9,  i.e.,  of  admitting 
them  to  the  saving  presence  of  the  Lord.  Compare 
Isaiah  xxii,  22. 

The  seventh  church  is  Laodicea.  Smyrna  was  hot — it 
flamed  like  fire  in  its  zeal ;  its  fidelity  unto  death  glowed 
like  an  oven.  Sardis  got  as  cold  as  ice.  But  Laodicea 
was  lukewarm,  neither  cold  nor  hot— it  did  not  come 
out  strong  and  openly  for  anything.  It  was  like  the  man 
in  the  canoe  who  had  lost  his  paddle  in  the  stream,  and 


ii-m]  SEVEN  CHURCHES  IN  ASIA  77 

prayed :  "  Good  Lord,  help  me — Good  devil,  help  me." 
That  is  the  weakest  of  all  characters,  and  when  the 
strong  expression  is  here  used :  "  I  will  spew  thee  out  of 
my  mouth,"  it  is  designed  to  show  that  this  condition 
is  nauseating  to  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  That  was  the 
Laodicean  condition.  And  strange  to  say,  they  thought 
they  were  rich  and  needed  nothing ;  whereas,  as  God  saw 
them,  they  were  miserable  and  poor  and  blind  and  naked. 

I  have  heard  Laodicean  letters  read  at  associations : 
"  Dear  Brethren :  This  year's  letter  reports  to  you  that 
we  are  at  peace.  Baptized — none;  received  by  letter — 
none ;  excluded — none ;  restored — none ;  given  to  missions 
— nothing."  That  is  the  peace  of  death.  I  again  wish 
to  repeat  that  in  no  age  of  the  world  have  all  of  the 
churches  been  like  Ephesus,  or  Smyrna,  or  Pergamos, 
or  Thyatira,  or  Sardis,  or  Philadelphia,  or  Laodicea. 
And  in  every  period  of  history  there  have  been  churches 
like  all  these  types.  What  if  next  Sunday  the  Recording 
Angel  should  come  down  and  write  on  the  board  of  every 
church  in  Fort  Worth  some  one  of  these  seven  names : 
Ephesus,  Smyrna,  Pergamos,  Thyatira,  Sardis,  Phila- 
delphia or  Laodicea  ?  Some  of  the  brethren  would  stand 
out  and  read  the  inscription,  and  their  knees  would  shake 
like  Belshazzar's  when  the  handwriting  of  the  Lord  ap- 
peared on  the  wall. 

We  cannot  in  these  chapters  go  into  all  the  details  of 
criticism  like  a  commentary — the  salient  points  must 
suffice.  But  one  verse  concerning  Laodicea  must  be 
noticed  somewhat :  "  Behold,  I  stand  at  the  door  and 
knock:  if  any  man  hear  my  voice  and  open  the  door, 
I  will  come  in  to  him,  and  will  sup  with  him,  and  he  with 
me."  It  is  a  mistake  to  preach  a  sermon  to  sinners  from 
this  text.  It  is  addressed  exlusively  to  delinquent 
church  members.     In  walking  among  the  candlesticks 


78  REVELATION  [n-ra 

our  Lord  knocks  at  the  hearts  of  backslidden  or  hypo- 
critical members,  demanding  admission  and  promising 
spiritual  intercommunion  to  those  who  admit  Him.  In 
this  way  He  often  rings  the  spiritual  door-bell  at  the 
houses  of  professing  Christians  whose  ears  are  quick  to 
hear  the  calls  of  fashion,  pleasure,  ambition  or  business, 
but  so  stopped  as  never  to  hear  the  ringing  of  Him  who 
comes  often  and  patiently  stands  and  keeps  ringing. 
Sometimes  He  rings  by  sickness,  sometimes  by  financial 
loss,  sometimes  by  death  in  the  house.  The  sickness, 
loss  or  death  are  realized,  but  they  do  not  recognize  them 
as  the  calling  of  the  Lord. 


EXAMINATION  QUESTIONS 

1.  What  three  competing  religions  in  proconsular  Asia? 

2.  Meaning  of  the  angel  of  the  church? 

3.  What  the  original  doctrine  of  Balaam,  and  what  its  ap- 
plication to  the  Asian  churches  ? 

4.  What    the    doctrine    of    the    Nicolaitans,    and    was    the 
Nicholas  of  Acts  vi  the   founder? 

5.  What  the  Bible  material  showing  Paul's  connection  with 
the   seven   churches  ? 

6.  What  John's  connection? 


Ephesus 

7.  Tell  of  this  city  and  its   religion. 

8.  Was   Timothy   the   angel   of   this   church — giving  reasons 
for  your  answer? 

9.  What  the  condition  of  this  church — good  or  bad? 

10.  What  strong  evidence  here  of  late  date  for  the  book? 


Smyrna 

11.  Tell  of  this  city — past  and  present. 

12.  Who  probably  angel  of  the  church,  giving  argument? 

13.  Its  condition,  and  with  what  church  contrasted? 

14.  What  the  hostility  of  Jews  to  Christianity  here  and  how 
evident? 

15.  Who  the  real  author  of  persecution? 


n-m]  SEVEN  CHURCHES  IN  ASIA  79 

Pergamos 

i6.     Tell   of  this  city,   its  library  and  heathen   religion. 

17.  What  the  meaning  of   "Throne  of   Satan"? 

18.  The  things  commended  and  reprobated? 

Thyatira 

19.  Wherein   the  conditions   here   contrasted   with   Ephesus? 

20.  What  the  chief  cause  of   trouble  here? 

21.  What    evidence    that    this    Jezebel    was    the    Lydia    of 
Acts  xvi  ? 

22.  In  the  Old  Testament  analogue  what  the  magnitude  of 
the  trouble  caused  by  Jezebel? 

23.  What  the  influence  of  woman  on   Christianity — good  or 
bad? 

24.  Show  what  Christian  women  workers  are  domg  to-day. 

25.  What  great  text  for  revival  sermon  in  this  section  and 
its  doctrine? 

26.  Meaning   of   "depths   of   Satan"? 

Sardis 

27.  Tell  of  history  of  this  city  and  its  characteristics. 

28.  What  the  condition  of  the  church  and  only  commenda- 
tion ? 

29.  Explain   the  coming   of   the   Lord   in   this   account,   and 
cite  similar  cases. 

Philadelphia 

30.  Tell  of  the  city  and  relative  position  of  the  church. 

31.  Probable  meaning  of   the   "  hour  of   trial  on   the   whole 
world"?  ,  ^      ^, 

32.  Cite    Gibbon's    testimony    to    the    power    of    our    Lord  s 
promise  to  keep  this  church. 

33.  With   what   scripture   does  the  "open   door"   connect? 

34.  Explain,     in     order,     the     three     key-passages     cited     in 
chapter,  and  illustrate  by  other  scriptures. 

Laodicea 

35.  What  the  condition  of  this  church  in  its  own  sight  and 
God's? 

36.  What  one  word  expresses  their  condition  and  what  strong 
term  expresses  our  Lord's  nausea  at  the  condition? 

37.  What  text  here  is  misapplied  to  sinners,  and  explain  it. 


VI 


THE  PROMISES  TO  THE  FAITHFUL  IN  THE 
CHURCHES 

Revelation  II,  7,  11,  ly,  26-28;  III,  5,  12,  21 

1ET  us  recall  again  that  the  Lord  adapts  His  titles, 
exhortations,  threats  and  promises  to  the  varied 
"^  conditions  of  the  churches.  In  no  two  cases  are 
they  alike. 

This  chapter  is  devoted  to  the  promises.  All  these 
promises  are  connected  with  one  word  "  overcometh  " — 
Greek  "  nikao."  The  details  of  these  promises  are  given 
in  seven  distinguishing  series  in  the  second  and  third 
chapters,  and  the  sum  of  them  expressed  in  xxi,  7,  "  He 
that  overcometh  shall  inherit  all  things " — or  better, 
"  These  things,"  referring  back  to  the  things  enumerated 
in  xxi,  1-6. 

Let  us  group  into  one  sentence  all  the  detailed  and 
distinguishing  promises  of  the  seven  series :  "  To  him 
that  overcometh  will  I  give  to  eat  of  the  tree  of  life, 
which  is  in  the  Paradise  of  God  " — and  "  He  shall  not 
be  hurt  of  the  second  death  " — and  "  I  will  give  to  him 
the  hidden  manna,  and  I  will  give  him  a  white  stone, 
and  upon  the  stone  a  new  name  written,  which  no  one 
knoweth  but  he  that  receiveth  it " — and  "  I  will  give  him 
authority  over  the  nations,  and  he  shall  rule  them  with 
a  rod  of  iron,  as  the  vessels  of  the  potter  are  broken  to 
shivers ;  as  I  also  have  received  of  my  Father :  and  I  will 

80 


ii-iii]         PROMISES  TO  THE  FAITHFUL         81 

give  him  the  morning  star  " — and  "  he  shall  be  arrayed 
in  white  garments,  and  I  will  in  no  wise  blot  his  name 
out  of  the  book  of  life,  and  I  will  confess  his  name  before 
my  Father  and  before  his  angels  " — and  "  I  will  make 
him  a  pillar  in  the  temple  of  my  God,  and  he  shall  go 
out  thence  no  more ;  and  I  will  write  upon  him  the  name 
of  my  God,  and  the  name  of  the  city  of  my  God,  the 
new  Jerusalem,  which  cometh  down  out  of  heaven  from 
my  God,  and  mine  own  new  name  " — and  "  I  will  give 
to  him  to  sit  down  with  me  on  my  throne,  as  I  also  over- 
came and  sat  down  with  my  Father  on  his  throne  "  (see 
ii,  7,  II,  17,  26-28;  iii,  5,  12,  21). 

General  Remarks  on   the  Promises. 

1.  They  are  all  clothed  in  the  most  sublime  imagery. 

2.  Their  character,  multitude  and  magnitude  are  over- 
whelming, outshining  any  galaxy  in  the  natural  skies. 
The  mind  is  dazzled  by  their  blended  brilliance.  The 
hand  of  apprehension  looses  its  grip  in  trying  to  grasp 
them  and  comprehension  must  wait  for  understanding 
until  the  realization  of  post-judgment  experience. 

3.  Yet  even  now  unstaggering  Faith  receives  them,  and 
Hope  lives  in  their  radiance.  They  reverse  gravitation 
because  they  draw  upward;  they  pull  toward  heaven 
and  uplift.  They  stimulate  more  than  wine  until  one 
is  intoxicated  with  the  Spirit.  They  awaken  desire,  de- 
velop strength  and  inspire  zeal. 

4.  Laying  aside  all  dogmatism,  comparing  scripture 
with  scripture,  in  exceeding  humility,  praying  fervently 
for  spiritual  guidance,  let  us  attempt  an  interpreta- 
tion. 

Inasmuch  as  all  these  promises  are  to  him  that  "  over' 
cometh,"  our  first  concern  is  to  know  the  meaning  and 


82  REVELATION  [n-m 

sweep  of  this  word,  and  just  what  or  whom  must 
be  overcome,  and  with  what  means  we  may  over- 
come. 

Evidently  the  word  "  overcometh  "  is  not  limited  to 
one  definite  transaction,  but  has  a  continuous  meaning — 
a  sweep  beyond  a  single  event.  What  are  its  terminals  ? 
When  does  the  overcoming  commence  and  where  does  it 
end?  It  commences  with  justification  and  ends  at  the 
death  of  the  body  with  complete  sanctification  of  the 
soul.  "  He  that  endureth  unto  the  end  shall  be  saved  " 
— "  Be  thou  faithful  unto  death,  and  thou  shalt  receive 
a  crown  of  life."  John  elsewhere  supplies  the  object 
of  the  verb.  Twice  he  says :  "  Ye  have  overcome  the 
wicked  one  "  {I  John  ii,  13,  14).  Three  times  he  declares 
the  world  as  the  object  to  be  overcome  (I  John  v,  4,  5). 
Only  those  "  born  of  God  overcome  the  world." 

The  means  of  overcoming  is  "  the  blood  of  the  Lamb  "; 
the  instrumentality  is  faith — "  and  this  is  the  victory  that 
hath  overcome  the  world,  even  our  faith"  (I  John  v,  4). 
Satan,  his  emissaries  and  the  world  that  lieth  in  him, 
must  be  overcome.  By  faith  the  child  of  God  goes  on 
from  victory  to  victory — from  grace  to  grace — from 
strength  to  strength — from  glory  to  glory. 

Let  us  now  look  separately  at  the  promises  themselves : 

I.  Access  to  the  Tree  of  Life  in  the  Paradise  of  God. 
Here,  evidently,  there  is  allusion  to  the  Genesis  story. 
The  purpose  of  the  tree  of  life  in  the  original  garden 
was  to  eliminate  the  mortality  of  the  body.  So  that,  in 
unfigurative  terms,  this  promise  is  the  glorification  of  the 
body  to  be  experienced  without  death  by  all  Christians 
living  when  our  Lord  comes,  and  by  all  Christians  who 
have  died,  after  their  resurrection.  We  may  count  the 
glorification  of  the  bodies  of  the  two  classes  as  practically 
simultaneous,  since  the  righteous  dead  are  raised  before 


n-iii]         PROMISES  TO  THE  FAITHFUL         83 

the  righteous  living  are  changed,  and  together  they  are 
caught  up  to  the  Lord  (I  Thessalonians  iv,  13-18). 

The  promise  means  everything  set  forth  in  Paul's  words 
(I  Corinthians  xv,  42-49,  51-58):  incorruption,  glory, 
power,  a  spiritual  body  in  the  image  of  the  Second  Adam ; 
or  in  his  other  words,  "  Who  shall  fashion  anew  the  body 
of  our  humiliation,  that  it  may  be  like  to  the  body  of  his 
glory,  according  to  the  working  whereby  he  is  able  even 
to  subject  all  things  unto  himself"  (Philippians  iii,  21). 
Or  as  John  elsewhere  puts  it :  "  We  know  that  if  he  shall 
be  manifested,  we  shall  be  like  him"  (I  John  iii,  2). 
Hence  the  Psalmist :  "  I  shall  be  satisfied  when  I  awake 
with  thy  likeness."  This  title  to  access  to  the  tree  of 
life  arises  from  cleansing  by  the  blood  of  the  Lamb, 
effected  in  us  when  in  regeneration  and  sanctification  the 
Spirit  applies  the  blood.  See  later  reference  in  this  book : 
vii,  14;  xxii,  14.  After  Adam's  fall  he  was  expelled 
from  the  garden  lest  he  eat  of  this  fruit  and  live  forever 
in  a  body  of  sin  (Genesis  iii,  22),  but  a  throne  of  grace 
and  mercy  was  established  at  the  east  of  the  garden 
where  the  sword-flame,  or  Shekinah,  dwelt  between  the 
Cherubim  to  keep  open  the  way  to  the  tree  of  life  through 
vicarious  sacrifices  (Genesis  iii,  24;  iv,  4;  Hebrews  xi,  4). 

2.  "  Shall  not  be  hurt  of  the  second  death."  The 
meaning  of  the  second  death  is  the  casting  of  both  soul 
and  risen  body  into  the  lake  of  fire  (Revelation  xx, 
14,  15).  It  is  the  final  decision  of  our  Lord  at  the  general 
judgment,  and  fixes  forever  the  status  of  the  lost.  The 
lake  of  fire  is  a  metaphor,  of  course,  but  expresses  a 
reality  not  less  fearful  than  the  figure.  Into  this  torment 
the  soul  of  a  lost  sinner  goes  immediately  after  the  death 
of  the  body — see  the  parable  of  Dives  and  Lazarus, 
Luke  xvi.  But  from  this  disembodied  state  of  torment 
the  soul  is  called  to  the  general  judgment,  where  it  is 


84  REVELATION  [n-m 

united  to  its  risen  body — "  Death  and  Hades  gave  up  the 
dead  which  were  in  them"  (Revelation  xx,  13),  i.e.,  the 
body  came  from  the  grave  and  the  soul  from  its  place 
in  torment.  Then  on  the  sentence  of  the  Judge  the  lost 
man,  soul  and  body,  is  cast  into  the  lake  of  fire,  which 
is  the  second  death. 

While  both  memory  and  conscience  will  afflict  the 
lost  forever,  the  lake  of  fire  is  punitive,  and  not  the 
remorse  of  conscience,  which  is  only  consequential.  That 
this  final  sentence  is  punitive  appears  from  Matthew  xxv, 
41,  46,  and  II  Thessalonians  i,  7-9.  It  is  further  de- 
scribed by  our  Lord  as  a  destruction  of  soul  and  body 
in  Gehenna,  and  directly  contrasted  with  the  first  death, 
or  the  death  of- the  body:  "And  be  not  afraid  of  them 
that  kill  the  body,  but  are  not  able  to  kill  the  soul:  but 
rather  fear  him  who  is  able  to  destroy  both  soul  and 
body  in  hell"  (Greek  Gehenna). 

This  promise  was  specially  precious  to  the  church  at 
Smyrna,  at  that  time  undergoing  persecution  unto  death. 
The  devil,  through  his  agents,  might  kill  their  bodies,  the 
first  death,  but  these  martyrs  should  not  be  hurt  of  the 
second  death. 

3.  "  I  will  give  to  him  the  hidden  manna."  The  "  hid- 
den manna  "  is  an  allusion  to  the  memorial  pot  of  manna 
hidden  in  the  ark  of  the  covenant.  This  represented 
Christ  as  the  bread  of  life,  sent  from  heaven — see  the 
great  discussion,  John  vi,  27-59.  Whosoever  by  faith 
appropriates  the  body  and  blood  of  Christ  has  eaten  food 
which  nourishes  unto  eternal  life.  An  eater  of  the  manna 
in  the  desert  did  not  escape  death,  but  the  believer  in 
Jesus  Christ,  antitype  of  the  memorial  manna  hidden  in 
the  ark  of  the  covenant,  shall  never  die. 

This  promise  is  on  a  line  with  the  preceding  one,  and 
particularly  appropriate  to  Pergamos,  whose  heretics  were 


ii-m]         PROMISES  TO  THE  FAITHFUL         85 

eating  the  meat  offered  to  idols,  following  Balaam,  which 
was  a  food  unto  death,  but  whose  faithful  ones  are 
promised  the  bread  of  life. 

4,  "  /  will  give  him  a  white  stone  and  on  the  stone  a 
new  name  written  which  no  one  knoweth  but  he  that 
receiveth  it." 

Observe  that  this  is  the  second  promise  to  the  church 
at  Pergamos.  To  the  same  person  is  given  both  "  the 
hidden  manna  "  and  "  the  stone,"  whose  inscription  is 
hidden  to  all  but  the  recipient.  There  appears  to  be  a 
connection  of  thought  between  the  two  promises  which 
may  be  helpful  toward  an  interpretation  of  the  white 
stone.    Let  us  follow  up  this  clue. 

Satan's  throne  was  at  Pergamos.  That  is,  he  com- 
pletely dominated  the  municipal  government.  This  was  a 
Greek  city,  subject  to  Greek  method  of  judicial  pro- 
cedure. A  test  of  loyalty  to  the  government  would  be 
a  participation  in  the  idolatrous  feasts.  We  know  from 
Paul's  letter  to  the  Greek  city  of  Corinth  that  a  Christian 
might  not  eat  at  both  the  Lord's  table  and  the  devil's 
table,  nor  drink  of  both  the  Lord's  cup  and  the  cup  of 
devils.  So  refraining  from  the  heathen  idol  feasts  was  a 
test  of  loyalty  to  Christ.  And  so  the  same  Satan  who 
inspired  Balaam  to  spring  this  test  on  the  Israelites  in- 
spired the  later  Balaamites  to  compromise  on  this  open 
communion  between  the  two  religions,  and  inspires  the 
municipal  government  to  demand  like  compromises  of 
the  other  members  of  the  church.  Fear  may  have 
prompted  the  tempted  to  this  compromise,  and  fear  may 
have  inspired  the  church  to  refrain  from  disciplining  the 
heretical  and  immoral  members,  especially  after  their 
pastor,  Antipas,  was  murdered  for  his  fidelity. 

A  Greek  city  expressed  judgment  on  persons  arraigned 
by  a  kind  of  ballot,  using  shells  as  at  Athens,  or  pebbles 


86  REVELATION  [n-m 

here  whose  significance  declared  for  acquittal  or  con- 
demnation— white  for  acquittal  or  black  for  guilty.  Fol- 
lowing this  line  of  thought  the  promise  would  mean:  If 
the  devil-prompted  city  condemns  your  loyalty  to  Christ 
by  a  ballot  of  black  pebbles,  He  will  acquit  you  by  the 
white  stone  of  justification.  This  view  gathers  force 
from  the  title  of  our  Lord  when  addressing  the  church : 
"  These  things  saith  he  that  hath  the  sharp  two-edged 
sword."  In  the  vision,  i,  i6,  this  sword  issues  from 
His  mouth,  and  hence  represents  His  word  of  judgment. 
It  is  a  judge  symbol  (Hebrews  iv,  12,  13).  More- 
over, the  inscription  on  the  white  stone  can  be  made  to 
harmonize  with  this  interpretation.  It  is  a  "  new  name  " 
unknown  to  the  heathen  judges,  but  well  known  to  the 
recipient.  If  this  be  our  Lord's  own  new  name  as  later 
revealed  in  the  book  (Revelation  xix,  12,  13,  16)  it  is 
intensely  significant  in  the  connection:  "Word  of  God," 
"  King  of  kings  and  Lord  of  lords,"  i.e.,  the  earthly 
judgment  condemns,  the  divine  judgment  acquits,  the 
condemnation  is  from  earthly  lords — the  justification  from 
the  Lord  of  lords.  The  expression  "  known  only  to 
him  who  receives  it "  means  the  assurance  of  divine 
acceptance,  the  witness  of  the  Spirit,  bearing  witness 
with  his  own  spirit,  which,  being  entirely  a  matter  of 
personal  experience,  cannot  be  known  to  any  one  except 
the  recipient. 

5.  "And  I  will  give  him  authority  over  nations,  and 
he  shall  rule  them  with  a  rod  of  iron,  as  the  vessels  of  a 
potter  are  broken  into  shivers." 

More  than  any  one  of  the  other  promises  does  this 
one  need  careful  exposition.  Its  misinterpretation  has 
been  productive  of  monstrous  evils  in  the  Christian  cen- 
turies, and  the  end  is  not  yet.  It  is  quoted  to  support 
the  Romanist  pretension  that  all  nations  are  under  the 


ii-m]         PROMISES  TO  THE  FAITHFUL         87 

absolute  jurisdiction  of  the  Papal  hierarchy,  in  the  exer- 
cise of  which  continents  have  been  bestowed  upon  fa- 
vourite monarchs,  kings  have  been  dethroned,  subjects 
absolved  from  allegiance,  crusades  preached,  property 
confiscated,  cruel  persecutions  waged,  marriages  annulled, 
family  ties  dissolved.  The  record  of  these  evils  constitutes 
the  bloodiest  volumes  in  the  annals  of  time.  Nor  has  its 
misuse  been  limited  to  the  Romanists.  The  evils  are 
not  less  evil  when  flowing  from  Protestant  or  Greek 
Catholic  misapplication.  They  have  prevailed  whenever 
and  wherever  religious  sectaries  of  any  name  have 
usurped  control  over  states.  "  The  mad  men  of  Mun- 
ster,"  the  Cameronians  of  Scotland,  the  Fifth  Monarchy 
men  of  Cromwell's  day,  the  Muggletonians  and  Mor- 
mons of  this  country,  all  belong  to  the  same  category. 

In  order  to  correct  interpretation  we  must  first  under- 
stand the  terms  employed  and  their  Biblical  usage. 

(a)  First  of  all,  the  promise,  whatever  it  means,  is  not 
to  any  religious  denomination  or  ecclesiastical  organiza- 
tion, but  only  to  the  individual  Christian  who  overcomes: 
"  To  him  that  overcometh  I  will  give  " — it  is  not  a  grant 
of  power  to  any  one  of  the  seven  churches,  nor  to  all 
of  them  combined.  This  is  a  capital,  fundamental,  cru- 
cial, vital  fact,  essential  to  correct  interpretation. 

(b)  The  promise  is  not  "  power  " — Greek  "  dunamis," 
— but  "  authority  " — Greek  "  exousia." 

(c)  The  verb  "  shall  rule "  is  not  "  basileuo,"  but 
"  poimaino,"  which  means  "  to  shepherd  " — "  he  shall 
shepherd  them." 

(d)  "The  rod  of  iron,"  Greek  "  rabdos "— rod  of 
correction — is  the  shepherd's  rod,  iron-tipped  at  one  end, 
and  with  a  crook  at  the  other  end.  See  the  Septuagint 
for  the  Shepherd  Psalm :  "  Thy  rod  and  thy  staff  they 
comfort  me."    The  shepherd  does  not  carry  two  things, 


88  REVELATION  [n-ra 

one  a  rod,  and  the  other  a  staff,  but  the  same  thing  is 
either  rod  or  staff  according  to  its  use.  See  the  author's 
sermon  on  Psalms  xxiii,  4. 

(e)  The  "  breaking  into  shivers  as  a  potter's  vessel," 
is  not  necessarily  for  ultimate  destruction,  but  may  look 
to  reconstruction  (see  Jeremiah  xviii,  4-10).  It  becomes 
destructive  only  when  impenitence  becomes  incorrigible 
(Jeremiah  xix,  i-ii),  and  even  then  applies  not  to  all 
the  nation  but  only  to  its  hostile  elements.  In  other 
words,  we  miss  the  mark  if  we  construe  all  this  rule  as 
punitive.  The  primary  intent  looks  to  correction  and 
salvation;  as  the  shepherd  goads  the  wandering  sheep 
with  the  iron-tipped  end  of  his  staff  into  a  safer  path, 
or  draws  him  back  from  a  precipice  with  the  crook  at 
the  other  end,  or  sets  up  the  staff  as  an  ensign  for 
rallying  the  flock  together  in  time  of  danger,  or  with  it 
counts  them  each  morning  and  evening  as  they,  one  by 
one,  "  pass  under  the  rod "  in  leaving  the  fold  for 
pasturage  or  returning  to  it  for  shelter,  or  in  using  it 
as  a  weapon  of  offence  against  the  enemies  of  the  flock. 

(f)  This  rule,  or  shepherding,  so  far  as  exercised 
mediately  in  time  by  him  that  overcometh,  is  not  execu- 
tive, but  instructive  and  declarative.  When  God,  in  time, 
"  hews  a  nation  by  a  prophet,"  the  prophet  simply  de- 
clares, but  does  not  execute  the  divine  threat.  As  Jonah 
was  sent,  not  to  overturn  Nineveh,  but  merely  to  declare 
"  Yet  forty  days  and  Nineveh  shall  be  overthrown." 
And  the  case  of  Nineveh  will  show  the  merciful  intent 
of  Jeremiah's  illustration  of  the  potter's  vessel :  "At 
what  instant  I  shall  speak  concerning  a  nation  or  kingdom 
to  pluck  up,  and  to  break  down,  and  to  destroy  it,  if  that 
nation  concerning  which  I  have  spoken  turn  from  their 
evil,  I  will  repent  of  the  evil  that  I  thought  to  do  unto 
them  "  (Jeremiah  xix,  7-10). 


ii-iii]         PROMISES  TO  THE  FAITHFUL         89 

The  overcoming  Christian,  like  the  ancient  prophet,  is 
God's  mouthpiece  to  the  nations :  "  Behold !  I  have  put 
my  words  into  thy  mouth :  see  this  day  I  have  put  thee 
over  the  nations  and  over  the  kingdoms,  to  pluck  up  and 
to  break  down  and  to  destroy,  and  to  overthrow,  to  build 
and  to  plant."     (Jeremiah  i,  9,  10.) 

Even  in  the  prototype  of  our  passage  (Psalms  ii,  8-12), 
where  the  nations  are  given  to  our  ascended  Lord  for 
an  inheritance,  and  where  it  is  said :  "  Thou  shalt  break 
them  with  an  iron  rod,  and  shalt  dash  them  into  pieces 
as  a  potter's  vessel,"  the  verses  which  follow  show  the 
merciful  and  instructive  intent  of  the  threat.  Which  pas- 
sage naturally  leads  to  our  last  thought  in  this  connection : 

The  authority  promised  is  derivative  and  limited,  and 
not  inherent  and  absolute,  and  arises  from  the  overcoming 
Christian's  unity  with  Christ  and  his  representative 
function  of  acting  mediately  for  Christ.  This  is  evident 
from  the  modifying  clause :  "  even  as  I  have  received 
from  my  Father." 

Here  it  is  quite  important  to  understand  the  meritorious 
ground  of  Christ's  own  authority,  how  received  and  to 
what  end,  since  what  He  received  is  that  which  He 
imparts  and  certainly  to  the  same  end,  and  which  so 
imparted  must  be  exercised  as  He  Himself  used  it. 
The  authority  in  question  does  not  arise  from  His  Son- 
ship  in  eternity,  but  from  His  Sonship  in  the  flesh.  It 
is  expressly  said  to  be  derived  from  the  voluntary  humili- 
ation and  vicarious  expiation  of  sin  in  the  flesh.  See 
particularly  Philippians  ii,  6-1 1.  Hence,  historically,  He 
was  invested  with  universal  sovereignty  after  His  resur- 
rection. The  author  insists  that  you  carefully  study 
this  proof:  Daniel  vii,  13-14;  Psalms  ii,  1-12;  ex,  i; 
Acts  ii,  33-36;  iv,  25-27;  Revelation  v,  12-14.  In  times 
antecedent  to  His  actual  historical  sacrifice  for  sin,  when 


90  REVELATION  [n-ra 

sin  is  remitted  to  a  penitent  believer  or  rule  exercised 
over  a  nation,  it  is  by  anticipation  of  that  sacrifice,  God 
accepting  His  promise  to  die  for  man  as  if  already  it 
had  been  done,  so  that  as  this  book  later  puts  it :  "A 
Lamb  slain  from  the  foundation  of  the  world." 

In  His  exalted  and  glorified  humanity  He  was  made 
"  head  over  all  things  to  his  church."  It  is  to  this  He 
refers  as  the  predicate  of  His  great  commission :  "  All 
authority  in  heaven  and  on  earth  is  given  unto  me.  Go  ye, 
therefore,  disciple  all  the  nations  "  (Matthew  xxviii,  i8). 
And  from  this  passage  we  gather  both  the  method  and 
the  end  of  "  shepherding  the  nations."  The  method  is 
not  a  carnal  one,  by  fire  and  sword,  as  rule  is  enforced 
by  worldly  kingdoms,  but  spiritual.  The  primary  end 
is  not  destruction,  but  salvation.  The  exercise  of  this 
authority,  whether  by  Himself  directly,  or  mediately 
through  His  people,  is  to  promote  the  interest  of  His 
spiritual  kingdom.  Hence  the  proximate  result  of  its 
exercise  is  expressed  in  Daniel  ii,  44;  Psalms  Ixxii,  5-17; 
Revelation  xi,  15,  and  its  ultimate  result  in  Revelation 
xxi,  23-27.  The  capital  error  of  the  Jews  throughout 
the  ages  has  been  an  expectation  of  a  Messiah  who  would 
in  a  literal  earthly  sense  occupy  the  throne  of  David  in 
Jerusalem  and  dominate  the  world.  This  idea,  which 
He  repudiated  so  emphatically  at  His  first  advent,  He 
will  not  adopt  at  His  final  advent.  The  pre-millennial 
contention  to  the  contrary  is  the  most  notorious  anti- 
climax in  all  the  vagaries  of  interpretation. 

6.  "And  I  will  give  him  the  morning  star."  This  is 
the  second  promise  to  the  faithful  in  Thyatira.  The 
meaning  of  this  symbolism  is  obvious.  As  the  morning 
star  is  the  herald  of  the  coming  day,  so  to  the  faithful 
our  Lord  will  give  a  premonition  of  the  final  glorious 
triumph.     This,  of  course,  is  the  inward  assurance  by 


n-m]         PROMISES  TO  THE  FAITHFUL         91 

the  Spirit  realized  in  personal  experience,  just  as  the 
white  stone  symbol  of  acquittal  bears  an  inscription  equal 
to  internal  assurance,  known  only  to  the  recipient.  As 
Peter  expresses  it,  we  have  the  surer  word  of  prophecy 
shining  as  a  lamp  in  the  night :  "  until  the  day  star  arise 
in  your  hearts."  Paul  ( I  Thessalonians  v,  3,  4)  declares 
that  in  the  day  of  our  Lord,  which  comes  as  a  thief  in 
the  night,  the  destruction  of  the  wicked  is  sudden,  and 
adds  by  way  of  contrast :  "  But  ye,  brethren,  are  not  in 
darkness,  that  that  day  should  overtake  you  as  a  thief." 
There  is  no  question  that  the  final  advent  of  our  Lord 
to  raise  the  dead  and  judge  the  world  will  be  personal, 
visible,  audible,  palpable,  and  that  this  advent  is  the 
great  event  of  the  future,  as  His  first  advent  was  until 
His  incarnation.  Nor  is  it  questioned  that  this  book, 
as  others  of  the  New  Testament,  clearly  discusses  it. 
But  it  is  equally  clear,  in  this  and  other  New  Testament 
books,  that  signal  time-events,  as  the  coming  of  the 
Spirit,  and  particularly  great  judgments — as  the  destruc- 
tion of  Jerusalem,  or  the  removal  of  a  candlestick,  or 
death  to  an  individual,  are  called  "  a  coming  of  the 
Lord."  In  this  sense  He  is  always  coming.  He  is 
only  a  tyro  in  Biblical  interpretation  who  insists  that  every 
Scriptural  reference  to  a  coming  of  the  Lord  must  be 
construed  as  an  allusion  to  His  final  advent.  The  promise 
of  the  gift  of  the  "  morning  star  "  applies  as  much  to 
these  time-comings  as  to  His  final  advent,  e.g.,  He  gave 
to  His  elect  a  premonitory  sign  which  enabled  them  to 
escape  the  wrath  of  His  coming  in  the  destruction  of 
Jerusalem. 

7.  "  He  shall  he  arrayed  in  white  garments."  This  is 
the  first  promise  to  the  overcoming  few  in  Sardis  who 
"  had  not  defiled  their  garments."  In  order  to  a  correct 
interpretation  of  this  passage  we  must  collate  it  with  the 


92  REVELATION  [n-m 

following  correlative  passages :  The  "  wedding  garment " 
of  Matthew  xxii,  12 ;  the  "  white  robe  "  conferred  on  the 
souls  of  the  martyrs,  Revelation  vii,  9,  13,  14;  the  fine 
linen  or  wedding  garment  of  the  Bride  at  the  marriage 
of  the  Lamb,  Revelation  xix,  7,  8 ;  and  the  "  washed 
robes  "  that  entitle  to  the  tree  of  life,  Revelation  xxii,  14. 

Once  in  my  early  ministry,  before  preaching  a  sermon 
on  the  "  Wedding  Garment "  of  Matthew  xxii,  12,  I 
read  Dr.  Broadus'  comment  on  the  passage  interpreting 
the  wedding  garment  to  mean  righteousness  in  character 
and  life,  adding :  "  But  to  bring  in  the  Pauline  conception 
of  imputed  righteousness,  and  understand  the  parable  to 
teach  that,  we  must  put  on  the  wedding  garment  of 
Christ's  imputed  righteousness,  is  altogether  out  of  place." 
Then,  I  read  Dr.  Gill's  comment,  taking  the  opposite 
position,  insisting  that  we  must  interpret  the  wedding 
garment  to  mean  the  imputed  righteousness  of  Christ. 
Whereupon  a  lawyer  of  my  congregation  whispered  to 
another  lawyer :  "  When  Broadus  points  one  way  and 
Gill  another  way  this  darkey  is  gwine  to  take  to  the 
woods."  The  other  replied :  "  Before  taking  to  the  woods, 
let's  hear  the  pastor." 

So  I  say  now,  before  taking  to  the  woods  on  this 
promise,  hear  the  author,  for  there  is  a  middle  road 
agreeing  in  part  with  both  Broadus  and  Gill,  and  follow- 
ing neither  altogether.  Both  are  right  in  interpreting  the 
wedding  garment  to  mean  righteousness,  or  holiness, 
rather,  but  this  holiness  is  not  limited,  as  Gill  would  have 
it,  to  justification,  nor  to  character  and  life  as  Broadus 
has  it.  But  Dr.  Broadus  is  nearer  right  than  Gill  in 
this  that  the  wedding  garment  righteousness  refers  not 
at  all  to  the  salvation  done  for  us — that  is  to  say,  in  its 
legal  aspects  as  accomplished  by  redemption,  justification 
and  adoption — but  altogether  to  the  salvation  wrought 


n-m]         PROMISES  TO  THE  FAITHFUL        93 

in  us  by  both  regeneration  and  sanctification.  Every  re- 
deemed, justified  and  adopted  man  is  at  the  same  time 
internally  cleansed  from  the  defilement  of  sin  by  the 
Spirit's  application  of  Christ's  blood.  This  is  the  first 
and  an  essential  part  of  regeneration.  Regeneration  con- 
sists of  (i)  cleansing  from  the  defilement  of  sin  by  the 
Spirit's  application  of  the  blood  of  Christ,  and  (2)  of 
renewing.  Both  of  these  integral  parts  of  regeneration 
come  at  justification.  Then  the  work  of  internal  cleans- 
ing, begun  in  regeneration,  is  carried  on  through  sancti- 
fication, which  is  completed  at  the  death  of  the  body, 
so  that  of  these  disembodied  saints  we  may  say  with  He- 
brews xii,  23,  "  The  spirits  of  just  men  (justified)  made 
perfect,"  or  with  Revelation  vi,  11,  "  And  there  was  given 
them  to  each  one  a  white  robe  " — i.e.,  to  the  soul  of 
each  martyr  underneath  the  altar,  as  revealed  at  the 
opening  of  the  fifth  seal. 

The  cleansing  part  of  regeneration  was  typified  by 
the  sprinkling  with  a  bunch  of  hyssop,  of  the  liquefied 
ashes  of  the  red  heifer,  or  water  of  purification  (Eze- 
kiel  xxxvi,  25;  Hebrews  ix,  13,  14).  This  is  "the 
washing  of  regeneration  "  in  Titus  iii,  5,  referred  to  also 
in  I  Corinthians  vi,  ii,  "Such  were  some  of  you,  but 
ye  were  washed."  And,  if  you  are  able  to  bear  it,  this 
is  the  "  born  of  water  "  in  John  iii,  5,  which  Nicodemus, 
a  teacher  in  Israel,  was  rebuked  for  not  understanding, 
so  clearly  was  it  taught  in  the  Old  Testament. 

In  the  same  way  was  the  cleansing  of  sanctification 
applied  to  the  penitent  backslider  David  (Psalms  li,  2,  7), 
"  Wash  me  thoroughly  from  mine  iniquity,  and  cleanse 
me  from  my  sin ;  purify  me  with  hyssop,  and  I  shall  be 
clean ;  wash  me,  and  I  shall  be  whiter  than  snow."  And 
to  the  cleansing  of  both  regeneration  and  sanctification 
does  Paul  refer  in  Ephesians  v,  26,  27,  "  That  he  might 


94i  REVELATION  [ii-m 

sanctify  it,  having  cleansed  it  by  the  washing  of  the  water 
with  the  word,  that  he  might  present  the  church  to  himself 
a  glorious  church,  not  having  spot  or  wrinkle  or  any  such 
thing,  but  that  it  should  be  holy  and  without  blemish." 
The  grace  of  this  cleansing,  whether  in  regeneration  or 
sanctification,  appears  from  its  efficient  cause,  the  blood 
of  Christ:  "  And  one  of  the  elders  answered  saying  unto 
me:  These  that  are  arrayed  in  the  white  robes,  who  are 
they,  and  whence  come  they?  And  I  say  unto  him,  My 
Lord,  thou  knowest.  And  he  said  to  me,  These  are  they 
that  come  out  of  great  tribulation,  and  they  washed  their 
robes  and  made  them  white  in  the  blood  of  the  Lamb." 
"  Blessed  are  they  that  wash  their  robes,  that  they  may 
have  the  right  to  come  to  the  tree  of  life  and  may  enter 
in  by  the  gates  into  the  city." 

Now,  this  internal  cleansing,  this  perfecting  in  per- 
sonal holiness,  is  symbolized  by  the  white  robe,  or  wed- 
ding garment :  "  And  it  was  given  unto  the  Lamb's  wife 
that  she  should  array  herself  in  fine  linen,  bright  and 
pure ;  for  the  fine  linen  is  the  righteousnesses  of  the 
saints."  Note  the  plural  "  righteousnesses,"  which  does 
not  mean  as  the  Revision  puts  it  "  the  righteous  acts  of 
the  saints."  This  would  flatly  contradict  the  regenera- 
tion part  of  this  righteousness  (see  Titus  iii,  5).  And  so 
it  would  contradict  the  many  cleansings  of  sanctification 
— "  Christ  being  made  unto  us  sanctification,"  every 
time  as  in  David's  case,  the  Spirit  applies  the  same 
cleansing  blood. 

It  is  true  enough  that  the  regenerated  man,  progressing 
in  sanctification,  acquires  personal  character,  exhibited 
in  life  and  good  works.  But  this  is  not  what  is  meant 
by  the  wedding  garment  of  Matthew  or  the  white  robe 
of  Revelation,  which  is  the  same  thing.  The  white  robe 
means  holiness,  as  God  is  holy.    The  means  of  the  cleans- 


ii-ra]         PROMISES  TO  THE  FAITHFUL        95 

ing  is  Christ's  atoning  blood.  This  is  applied  by  the 
Spirit  and  apprehended  by  faith.  The  whole  of  it  is 
God's  work  and  is  of  grace  from  the  first  cleansing  in 
regeneration  to  the  last  cleansing  of  sanctification.  That 
it  is  not  character  on  earth  is  evident  from  Revelation  vi, 
II,  where  it  is  bestowed  after  death.  So  with  the  teach- 
ing of  vii,  13,  14,  and  xix,  7.  The  glorious  result  is 
expressed  in  Ephesians  v,  27 — "  that  he  might  present 
the  church  to  himself  a  glorious  church,  not  having  spot 
or  wrinkle  or  any  such  thing,  but  that  it  should  be  holy 
and  without  blemish."  It  will  also  be  forever  true  that 
the  elect  are  immune  from  any  law  charge  because 
wrapped  in  the  righteousness  of  Christ  imputed  to  us 
when  by  faith  we  are  espoused  to  Christ.  And  also  for- 
ever true  that  the  white  robe  of  the  marriage  is  another 
thing,  being  personal  holiness  wrought  in  us  by  the  Holy 
Spirit  in  regeneration  and  sanctification.  It  is  therefore 
respectfully  submitted  that  Dr.  Gill  is  in  error  when 
he  expounds  the  wedding  garment  to  be  Christ's  right- 
eousness imputed  to  us,  or  anything  done  for  us  in  the 
legal  acts  of  redemption,  justification,  adoption,  and 
equally  so  that  Dr.  Broadus  is  mistaken  when  he  inter- 
prets it  to  mean  our  character  or  life  as  the  embodiment 
of  deeds  done  by  us,  no  matter  how  much  they  may  have 
been  the  fruits  of  grace.  But  it  means  personal  holiness 
wrought  in  us  by  the  Holy  Spirit : 

(i)  By  the  cleansing  of  Regeneration  when  the  blood 
of  Christ  is  applied  by  the  Spirit.  Ezekiel  xxxvi,  25 ; 
Hebrews  ix,  14;  first  clause  of  x,  22;  Titus  iii,  5,  first 
clause;  I  Corinthians  vi,   11,   first  clause. 

(2)  By  the  continued  cleansing  of  Sanctification  until 
holiness  of  spirit  is  perfected — as  in  the  cleansing  of 
backslidden  David  (Psalm  ii,  2,  7)  ;  in  the  continual 
changes  into  Christ's  image  (II  Corinthians  iii,  18). 


96  REVELATION  [n-ni 

That  both  the  cleansing  in  Regeneration  and  the  sub- 
sequent cleansing  of  Sanctification  are  meant  is  evident 
from  that  one  supreme  proof-text,  Ephesians  v,  26,  com- 
pared with  Revelation  vi,  11,  first  clause,  and  vii,  13,  14; 
xxii,  14. 

The  plural  "  righteousnesses  "  in  Revelation  xix,  8,  re- 
fers therefore  not  to  acts  of  the  saints  but  to  the  Spirit's 
acts  in  the  saints. 

8.  "  I  zvill  in  no  wise  blot  out  his  name  out  of  the  book 
of  life."  This  is  the  second  promise  to  the  faithful  at 
Sardis.  Two  questions  are:  (i)  What  is  the  book  of 
life,  and  (2)  the  exact  force  of  not  blotting  out  the 
name?  In  all  Greek  cities,  and  later  at  Rome,  there  was 
an  enrollment  of  citizens  as  distinguished  from  the  gen- 
eral population  who  had  no  rights  of  citizenship.  Citizen- 
ship could  be  forfeited  during  life  by  adjudged  infidelity 
to  the  city,  decided  by  a  vote  of  the  unaccused  citizens, 
followed  by  erasure  of  the  name.  Some  of  the  best  citi- 
zens were  thus,  by  prejudice,  ostracized,  as  Greek  history 
shows.  A  Christian  citizen  of  Sardis  might  thus  lose 
citizenship  on  account  of  loyalty  to  Christ.  Of  course, 
death  ended  this  earthly  citizenship.  It  is  the  object  of 
the  promise  to  contrast  the  enrolled  citizenship  in  the 
heavenly  Jerusalem  with  the  enrolled  citizenship  in  Sardis. 
The  point  of  contrast  lies  between  two  citizenships,  the 
two  enrollments,  and  particularly  in  the  fact  that  heavenly 
citizenship,  after  once  being  enrolled,  was  never  forfeited : 
"  I  will  in  no  wise  blot  his  name  out  of  the  book  of  life." 
Many  commentaries  miss  the  point  in  supposing  that  the 
heavenly  enrollment  is  a  probationary  list,  subject  to 
erasure,  and  that  this  implication  inheres  in  the  promise 
as  well  as  in  the  threat  of  Revelation  xxii,  19.  Your 
author  is  fully  persuaded  that  this  position  is  untenable. 
He  not  only  admits,  but  contends,  that  citizenship  was 


ii-iii]        PROMISES  TO  THE  FAITHFUL  97 

forfeitable  not  only  in  Greek  cities  and  Rome,  but  also 
in  the  Jewish  state,  but  utterly  denies  it  of  the  heavenly 
citizenship,  and  that  this  very  fact  is  the  essence  of  the 
promise. 

What,  then,  is  the  book  of  life?  By  its  very  name  it 
is  a  register  of  immortals.  "  He  that  believeth  in  me 
shall  never  die  " — shall  never  come  into  condemnation — 
"  but  hath  eternal  life."  The  nature  of  this  book  may 
be  considered  from  one  of  two  views : 

(i)  AH  his  elect  as  God  saw  them  before  the  founda- 
tion of  the  world.  This  would  be  the  list  of  the  original 
divine  purpose.  This  view  has  been  supported  largely 
by  an  interpretation  of  Revelation  xiii,  8;  xvii,  8;  but 
this  interpretation  is  very  doubtful,  since  it  makes  the 
phrase  "  from  the  foundation  of  the  world "  modify 
"  written  in  the  book  "  rather  than  the  "  Lamb  slain." 
Your  Standard  Revision  supports  this  view. 

(2)  A  much  safer  view  is  that  it  is  a  register  of  judi- 
cial decisions,  each  name  written  when  the  owner  is 
justified  (Isaiah  iv,  3).  It  has  this  meaning  in  Revela- 
tion XX,  15;  xxi,  27,  and  Daniel  xii,  i.  And  because  this 
judicial  decision  is  irrevocable,  it  explains  the  ground  of 
joy  in  our  Saviour's  words  to  the  seventy  (Luke  x,  20), 
and  the  fact  that  no  indictment  can  be  drawn  against 
God's  elect,  since  it  is  God  that  justifies  (Romans  viii,  33). 
See  also  Philippians  iv,  3,  and  Hebrews  xii,  23. 

On  the  meaning  of  this  book  and  its  use  at  the  judg- 
ment (Revelation  xx,  15)  is  written  this  hymn: 


'  When  thou,  my  righteous  judge,  shalt  come 
To  take  thy  ransomed  people  home, 
Shall   I  among  them  stand? 
Shall  I,  who  sometimes  am  afraid  to  die, 

Be  found  at  thy  right  hand? 
Oh,  can  I  bear  the  piercing  thought: 
What  if  my  name  shall  be  left  out?" 


98  REVELATION  [n-ra 

9,  "  I  will  make  him  a  pillar  in  the  temple  of  my  God, 
and  he  shall  go  out  thence  no  more ;  and  I  will  write  upon 
him  the  name  of  my  God,  and  the  name  of  the  city  of 
my  God,  the  new  Jerusalem,  which  cometh  down  out  of 
heaven  from  my  God,  and  my  own  new  name." 

Perhaps  the  most  imposing,  most  ornamental,  if  not 
the  most  useful  parts  of  a  great  edifice  are  its  pillars. 
Only  the  wealth  of  a  king  could  supply  even  one  of  the 
pillars  of  the  temple  of  Diana  at  Ephesus.  The  surviving 
pillars  in  the  ruins  of  ancient  temples  and  cities  yet  chal- 
lenge the  admiration  of  the  world  as  masterpieces  of 
human  skill  and  genius.  It  marked  the  prominence  and 
importance  of  James,  Cephas  and  John  to  be  "  reputed 
as  pillars"  in  the  Jerusalem  church  (Galatians  ii,  29), 
and  glorified  the  church  when  called  "  the  pillar  of  the 
truth"  (I  Timothy  iii,  15).  To  be  made,  therefore,  an 
everlasting  pillar  in  the  heavenly  temple  is  an  expression 
of  the  highest  honour.  This  honour  is  enhanced  by  the 
inscriptions  on  it  by  the  divine  architect  Himself — the 
name  of  God,  the  name  of  the  new  Jerusalem,  the  new 
name  of  the  architect  Himself,  to  wit :  "  Faithful  and 
true — King  of  kings  and  Lord  of  lords  "  (Revelation 
xix,  II,  13,  16). 

10.  "  I  will  give  to  him  to  sit  down  with  me  in  my 
throne,  as  I  also  overcame  and  sat  down  with  my  Father 
in  his  throne."  This  is  not  the  throne  of  ruling,  ex- 
pressed in  a  previous  promise,  but  the  throne  of  final 
judgment.  On  the  last  great  day,  earth's  supreme  assize, 
the  faithful  ones  are  placed  at  the  Lord's  right  hand, 
i.e.,  on  His  judgment  throne  (Matthew  xxv,  31,  33), 
and  shall  participate  with  Him  in  passing  judgment  on 
wicked  men  and  angels.  Jesus  had  already  promised  to 
His  apostles  that  in  the  world's  regeneration  (palinge- 
nesia,  i.e.,  the  time  of  the  restoration  of  all  things),  they 


ii-iii]  PROMISES  TO  THE  FAITHFUL        99 

should  sit  on  the  twelve  thrones  judging  the  twelve  tribes 
of  Israel  (Matthew  xix,  29).  And  Paul  had  said: 
"Know  ye  not  that  the  saints  shall  judge  the  world? 
Know  ye  not  that  we  shall  judge  angels?"  (I  Corin- 
thians vi,  23).  What  a  reversal  of  earth  condition  when 
the  Sanhedrin  that  tried  Peter  and  John  shall  be  judged 
by  them !  When  Gallio,  Festus,  Agrippa  and  Nero  shall 
stand  before  Paul's  tribunal.  What  poetic  justice  when 
Job  and  Peter  shall  judge  the  devil. 

Note  :  The  recitation  questions  on  this  chapter  consist  of  the 
meaning  of  each  promise,  or  part  of  a  promise. — Teacher. 


VII 

THE  THRONE  OF  GRACE 
Revelation  IV  and  V 

IN  the  preceding  chapters  on  Revelation  ii,  iii,  we  have 
considered  an  earth-scene  of  "  the  things  that  are  " — 
a  most  discouraging  view.  Now  we  consider  a 
heaven-scene  of  "  the  things  that  are  " — a  most  encourag- 
ing view. 

The  first  thought  is  "  the  heavens  opened."  Many 
people  live  and  die  without  a  vision  of  heaven.  To  them 
heaven  is  vague  and  far  away,  exercising  no  influence 
on  their  lives.  Others,  by  faith,  see  things  invisible.  The 
Old  Testament  examples  of  the  vision  of  heaven  are 
worthy  of  study.  The  examples  are  many  but  I  cite  only 
three : 

Jacob  left  home  for  the  first  time — to  be  gone  many 
years  and  never  to  see  his  mother  again.  Camping  one 
night — all  alone — with  a  stone  for  his  pillow — he  dreamed 
that  he  saw  a  stairway  reaching  from  earth  to  heaven — 
on  which  angels  descended  and  ascended.  According  to 
the  New  Testament  this  stairway  was  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ  restoring  communication  between  heaven  aiid 
earth.  The  vision  converted  Jacob  and  revolutionized  his 
life.  He  called  that  place  "  the  house  of  God  and  the 
Gate  of  Heaven."  That  one  experience  of  the  sensible 
presence  of  God — of  heaven's  interest  in  the  pilgrims  of 
earth — dissipated  his  loneliness  and  fear  and  never  lost 
its  power. 

100 


iv-v]  THE  THRONE  OF  GRACE  101 

Again,  in  the  discouraging  year  when  King  Uzziah 
died,  Isaiah  was  cheered  by  a  vision  of  the  King  who 
never  dies.  He  saw  heaven  opened  and  the  throne  of 
eternal  mercy — the  ministering  angels — all  aflame  with 
interest  in  earth's  affairs.  Yet  again,  Ezekiel,  in  the 
more  discouraging  times  of  the  exile,  had  a  glorious 
vision  of  the  throne  of  grace  and  its  circle  of  flaming — 
wide-awake — ministering  angels.  In  the  light  of  the 
vision  exile  changed  to  restoration  and  restoration  to  the 
spiritual  eternal  Kingdom  of  God. 

So  here,  chapters  iv  to  v,  the  heavens  are  opened 
to  John,  the  exile  on  Patmos,  and  in  the  light  of  its 
vision,  the  discouraging  earth-view  of  the  imperfect 
churches  and  pastors  is  swept  away  forever  and  in  its 
stead,  through  panorama  after  panorama,  he  sees  the 
ultimate  triumph  and  universal  prevalence  of  the  King- 
dom of  God. 

At  the  outset  let  me  assure  you  there  is  no  reason  for 
you  to  be  dismayed  at  the  symbolism  of  these  chapters. 
The  book  is  a  revelation,  not  a  hiding.  It  is  not  difficult 
to  understand  the  leading  thoughts  and  central  facts 
underlying  the  imagery. 

What,  then,  are  the  particulars  of  the  vision?  First 
of  all  he  saw  a  throne.  We  know  it  to  be  the  throne 
of  grace  by  the  rainbow  arch  above  it. 

On  that  throne,  whether  described  by  Isaiah,  Ezekiel 
or  John,  the  Almighty  is  presented  in  an  exceedingly 
reticent  way.  No  man  has  seen  God  directly  at  any  time, 
nor  can  see  Him.  He  said  to  Moses :  "  You  saw  no 
image."  So  here  the  Father  appears  without  form  or 
shape — vaguely  seen  as  the  brilliance  of  a  jewel.  But 
the  thought  is  clear  "  The  Lord  God  omnipotent  reigneth 
— let  the  earth  rejoice."  Before  the  throne  is  a  sea. 
In  this  and  other  apocalyptic  books — the  sea  represents 


102  REVELATION  [iv-v 

the  peoples  or  nations  of  the  earth — with  this  difference : 
As  seen  on  earth  Satan  appears  dominant  over  the  sea 
of  peoples.  It  is  there  storm-tossed  (Daniel  vii,  2,  3), 
one  beast  (or  nation)  rising  up  after  another.  But  be- 
fore God  in  heaven,  w^ho  overrules,  that  sea  (of  nations) 
becomes  placid  as  a  mirror.  To  Him  the  nations  are  but 
drops  of  water  in  a  bucket.  He  sees  a  representation  of 
the  third  person  of  the  Trinity,  the  Holy  Spirit:  "  Seven 
lamps  of  fire — which  are  the  seven  Spirits  of  God."  Seven 
is  a  perfect  number  meaning  any  number  necessary,  but 
here  just  seven  to  show  that  the  Omnipresent  Spirit  is 
with  each  of  the  seven  churches  named  in  the  preceding 
chapters.  If  a  hundred  churches  on  earth  had  been 
named,  the  symbolisms  here  would  have  been  "  one  hun- 
dred lamps  of  fire  which  are  the  hundred  Spirits  of  God." 

He  saw  the  second  person  of  the  Trinity,  the  Son  of 
God,  not  as  He  was  before  the  creation  of  the  world, 
but  as  a  Lamb  that  had  been  slain  now  alive  to  die  no 
more. 

So  he  saw  all  the  Holy  Trinity  and  each  in  a  way  to 
identify  the  throne  as  a  throne  of  grace — ^the  Father 
and  the  rainbow — a  Spirit  for  every  church — the  Son 
as  a  Lamb  once  slain  but  now  alive. 

He  sees  the  Cherubim  or  "  four  living  ones."  Do 
not  follow  the  common  version  "  four  beasts  "  as  if  the 
Greek  word  were  "  therion"  as  in  Romans  xiii,  i,  but 
"  zoa,"  living  ones.  Now,  as  there  is  more  confusion  of 
mind  concerning  the  Cherubim  than  perhaps  any  other 
thing  it  is  my  purpose  to  give  you  a  clear  conception  of 
them  gathered  from  the  Scriptures  alone. 

I.  The  Cherubim  of  Ezekiel  x,  1-20,  are  the  same  as 
"  living  ones  "  of  Ezekiel  i,  5,  and  Revelation  iv,  6,  (Greek 
Zoa),  and  the  same  as  the  Seraphim  of  Isaiah  vi,  2. 
Seraphim  expresses  merely  the  glowing  flames  or  lumi- 


iv-v]  THE  THRONE  OF  GRACE  103 

nous  quality  of  the  Cherubim.  It  is  human  rhetoric 
or  poetic  Hcense  that  makes  them  distinct  orders  of 
beings. 

2.  Their  number  is  always  and  only  four  (Ezekiel  i,  5  ; 
X,  10;  Revelation  iv,  6),  But  as  from  an  east,  west, 
north  or  south  angle  of  vision  only  two  can  be  seen, 
so  on  the  mercy-seat — an  east  view — only  two  can 
be  made  visible.  Hence  the  directions  to  Moses  to  make 
two  (Exodus  XXV,  18). 

3.  The  Cherubim  are  Angels,  but  angels  of  high  honour 
and  princely  character  always  nearest  the  throne  of  God, 
as  seen  by  Isaiah,  Ezekiel  and  John.  That  they  are 
angels  is  evident  from  Psalms  civ,  4,  correctly  interpreted 
by  Hebrews  i,  7.  It  is  more  evident  from  I  Peter  i,  12, 
referring  to  the  posture  of  the  Cherubim  bending  over 
and  gazing  down  upon  the  mercy-seat :  "  Which  things 
angels  desire  to  look  into."  Hence  also  Cherubim  were 
placed  on  a  great  veil  that  shrouded  the  most  holy  place 
as  if  endeavouring  to  peep  through  that  veil  and  com- 
prehend the  mystery  of  Redemption. 

4.  They  are  not  angels  of  wrath  but  always  associated 
with  the  throne  of  grace,  as  you  may  see  by  tracing  the 
word  through  a  Concordance.  Every  manifestation  of 
mercy  exhibits  them.  God,  intervening  for  fallen  men, 
is  always  represented  as  sitting,  or  dwelling,  or  appear- 
ing or  speaking  between  or  among  the  Cherubim.  As 
the  Shekinah,  or  sword-flame,  He  dwelt  between  the 
Cherubim,  to  keep  open  the  way  to  the  tree  of  life, 
when  the  throne  of  grace  was  established  at  the  east 
of  the  district  of  Eden  when  man  was  expelled  from 
Paradise  (Genesis  iii,  24;  see  rendering  in  Jamison,  Faus- 
sett  and  Brown),  and  there  Abel  found  him  and  through 
atoning  sacrifice  and  faith  found  his  way  back  to  the 
tree  of  life  (Genesis  iv,  4,  and  Hebrews  xi,  4). 


104.  REVELATION  [iv-v 

This  precise  idea  of  Genesis  was  embodied  by  divine 
directions  to  Moses  in  the  construction  of  the  mercy- 
seat  of  the  Tabernacle  (Exodus  xxv,  18-22;  xxvi,  31; 
xxxvii,  8). 

Here,  between  the  Cherubim,  God's  voice  was  heard 
(Numbers  vii,  89).  Here  God  dwelt  (I  Samuel  i,  24; 
H  Samuel  vi,  2 ;  Psalms  Ixxx,  i ;  xcix,  i ;  Isaiah  xxxvii, 
16;  Hebrews  ix,  5).  And  so  in  the  temple  of  Solomon 
(I  Kings  vi,  23;  H  Kings  xix,  15;  I  Chronicles,  xiii,  6). 
And  just  so  in  Ezekiel's  ideal  temple  (Ezekiel  xli,  18). 

5.  The  four  Cherubim,  combined,  constitute  the 
Chariot  of  God,  moving  on  purposes  of  mercy  (I  Chron- 
icles xxviii,  18;  Psalms  xviii,  10).  In  this  chariot  of 
fire  Elijah  ascended  to  heaven  (II  Kings  ii,  11).  Com- 
pare the  sarcasm  of  Isaiah  xxvii,  18,  on  the  death  of 
Shebna.  Doubtless  also  it  was  this  angel-chariot  that 
met  the  beggar  Lazarus  at  the  depot  of  death  and  carried 
him  away  to  banquet  with  Abraham  in  the  kingdom  of 
heaven  (Luke  xvi,  22).  Hence,  not  without  power,  and 
certainly  with  instructed  piety,  the  happy  camp-meeting 
negroes  of  the  South  are  accustomed  to  sing: 

"Swing  low,  sweet  chariot!" 

If  ever  that  fire-chariot  goes  on  a  mission  of  wrath  it  is 
always,  like  the  wrath  of  the  Lamb,  because  of  mercy 
despised  (Isaiah  Ixv,  15).  The  heavenly  realities  which 
forecast  these  symbols  for  tabernacle  and  temple  in  the 
visions  of  Isaiah,  Ezekiel  and  John  certainly  indicate  the 
angelic  interest  and  activity  of  the  Cherubim  in  the  plan, 
method  and  work  of  salvation. 

6.  Each  Cherub  is  symbolically  represented  with  four 
faces,  fronting  east,  south,  west  and  north,  to  indicate 
their  power  to  see,  and  their  readiness  to  move  in  any 


iv-v]  THE  THRONE  OF  GRACE  106 

direction  without  turning  around.  So,  in  the  description 
of  Ezekiel.  To  illustrate,  the  camp  of  Israel  fronted 
four  ways,  three  tribes  on  each  of  the  four  sides.  In 
military  maneuvers  a  battalion  may  form  a  hollow  square, 
facing  and  fighting  in  four  directions. 

7.  The  different  faces  expressed  the  qualities  of  the 
Cherubim.  The  face  of  a  man  indicated  intelligence,  and 
sympathy  with  man ;  the  face  of  the  eagle  indicated 
endurance  and  strength ;  the  face  of  the  lion  indicated 
great  powers  of  vision  and  flight ;  the  face  of  the  ox  indi- 
cated courage.  Thus,  facing  east  you  see  the  face  of  a 
man,  and  one  side  you  see  the  face  of  an  eagle,  and  on 
the  other  side  the  face  of  an  ox,  and  on  the  back  view  the 
face  of  a  lion. 

8.  The  highest  number  of  wings  actually  named  as 
in  use  at  one  time  is  six  (Isaiah  vi,  2;  Revelation  iv,  8), 
yet  there  must  have  been  two  wings  for  each  face — eight 
altogether.  The  idea  conveyed  is  that  they  are  always 
ready  to  fly  in  the  direction  any  face  fronted  without 
turning  round.  The  number  of  wings  seen  at  any  time 
depended  on  circumstances,  particularly  on  the  angle  of 
vision.  Seen  over  the  mercy-seat,  from  an  east  front,  only 
two  faces  and  four  wings  are  visible ;  seen  at  rest  every 
wing  is  folded  and  none  are  visible  (Ezekiel  i,  25). 

9.  The  wheels  represent  the  means  of  movement  on 
earth,  as  the  wings  represent  the  means  of  movement  in 
the  air.  There  was  a  wheel  for  each  face  (Ezekiel  i,  15). 
Now,  as  a  pair  of  wings  for  each  face  indicated  capacity 
and  readiness  to  fly  in  the  direction  that  face  fronted,  so 
the  same  idea  is  expressed  in  the  earth  motion  by  "  a 
wheel  within  a  wheel."  To  grasp  this  thought,  conceive  of 
one  tire  of  a  wagon  wheel  pressed  into  another  at  right 
angles.  Such  a  double  wheel  would  not  only  stand  of 
itself,  but  without  turning  could  be  rolled  in  four  direc- 


106  REVELATION  [iv-v 

tions.  With  the  exercise  of  a  little  ingenuity,  you  can  make 
a  double  pasteboard  wheel  that  embodies  the  idea.  That 
is  a  wheel  within  a  wheel.  It  can  roll  any  one  of  four 
ways  without  turning.  The  same  thought  may  be  seen 
in  the  rollers  of  the  legs  of  a  table  that  enables  you 
to  push  or  pull  in  any  direction  without  turning  the  table. 
Ezekiel  repeatedly  presents  this  thought,  that  whether 
the  Cherubim  fly  with  wings,  or  glide  on  wheels,  they 
never  turn  around.  They  always  move  straight  forward, 
whether  it  be  one  Cherub  or  four.  If  the  four  be 
together,  two  faces  and  four  wings  and  two  wheels 
front  every  cardinal  point  of  the  compass,  being  ever 
ready  to  see,  fly  or  glide  north,  east,  south  or  west 
without  turning.  In  any  element,  land,  sea  or  air 
they  are  ever  ready  for  sight  or  movement  in  four 
directions.  An  auto  must  turn  round  for  a  new  direc- 
tion, but  the  Cherubim  moves  straight  forward — the 
chariot  of  God  never  made  a  turn.  Dr.  J.  R.  Graves 
borrowed  from  Ezekiel's  Cherubim,  i.e.,  "  A  wheel 
within  a  wheel,"  his  idea  of  Methodism,  as  set  forth 
in  his  "  Great  Iron  Wheel " — but  he  utterly  missed 
Ezekiel's  idea  of  the  number  of  wheels  and  their  relative 
size  and  position.  Ezekiel's  wheel  was  double,  each  of 
the  same  size,  and  interfitted  at  right  angles.  Dr. 
Graves'  idea  was  one  big  wheel,  a  smaller  one  in  that, 
and  a  still  smaller  in  that,  all  fitted  in  laterally,  and  not 
at  right  angles  and  connected  by  spokes  jointed  into  a 
central  hub,  the  hub  representing  the  bishops,  the  inner- 
most wheel  representing  the  presiding  elders,  the  next 
wheel  the  preachers  in  charge  and  the  outer  wheel  the 
class  leaders — and  the  whole  wheel  rolling  over  the 
members. 

This  symbolical  idea  of  the  Cherubim  fitted  for  motion 
in  any  element  is  embodied  somewhat  in  the  aeroplane 


iv-v]  THE  THRONE  OF  GRACE  107 

— in  the  air  it  is  a  bird,  in  the  water  it  is  a  boat,  on 
land  it  is  a  wheeled  wagon. 

10.  The  leg  of  the  Cherub  had  no  knee  and  the  foot 
no  joints,  to  indicate  that  movement  was  purely  volitional, 
no  bending  of  knee  or  foot,  no  laboured  steps,  but  a 
gliding  motion,  like  roller  skates  or  other  skates  on  ice, 
I  have  dreamed,  more  than  once  in  my  life,  of  possessing 
this  volitional  gliding  movement  either  on  the  earth  or 
in  the  air — the  will  only  acted.  That  is,  I  dreamed  that 
just  by  willing  I  could  lift  myself  up  and,  without  ex- 
ertion or  fatigue,  could  glide.  Doubtless  we  will  all 
possess  this  volitional  power  of  movement  in  the  better 
world.  Our  autos  must  carry  an  oil  supply,  and  a  crank 
for  ignition,  but  in  Ezekiel's  Cherubim  "  the  Spirit "  or 
motor  power  resided  in  the  wheel  (Ezekiel  i,  20; 
i,  12),  the  power  turned  off  or  on  by  will,  not  mech- 
anism. 

11.  Their  swiftness  of  movement,  whether  on  the  land, 
or  through  the  air,  is  compared  to  a  flash  of  lightning 
(Ezekiel  i,  14).  For  instance,  combined  the  four  Cheru- 
bim into  a  chariot  which  could  go  east  to  west  and  back 
again  just  by  a  mental  movement.  They  could  go  for- 
ward and  back  again  as  quick  as  a  flash  of  lightning 
appears  and  disappears. 

12.  The  rims  or  felloes  of  the  wheel,  Ezekiel  says, 
were  very  high  and  dreadful,  and  like  the  wings  full 
of  eyes — to  indicate  vision  in  every  direction,  power  of 
perception  incalculably  great.  No  man-made  wheel  was 
ever  like  this.  The  Ferris  wheel  at  the  Chicago  Fair  was 
a  toy  in  comparison. 

13.  The  appearance  of  the  Cherubim  in  motion  was 
exceedingly  luminous — Ezekiel  says  like  coals  of  fire,  or 
torches.  The  fire  was  exceedingly  bright,  radiating 
flashes  of  lightning   (Ezekiel  i,   13).     They  constituted 


108  REVELATION  [iv-v 

indeed  a  "  chariot  of  fire."  And  he  says  that  the  noise 
of  their  wings  was  Hke  the  roaring  of  an  ocean  storm — 
Hke  the  voice  of  the  Almighty — or  Hke  the  tumult  of 
great  armies. 

14.  Under  each  wing  was  the  hand  of  a  man  (Ezekiel 
i,  3).  That  is,  each  Cherub  had  two  hands  for  each 
of  the  four  faces.  Hence  the  hand  of  one  of  the  Cheru- 
bim touched  the  lips  of  Isaiah  with  a  coal  from  the  altar, 
cleansing  and  inspiring  him  to  speak  for  God.  And  in 
the  same  way  a  hand  of  one  of  the  Cherubim  extended 
to  Ezekiel  a  book  of  Revelation.  These  various  organs 
of  sight,  motion  and  touch  expressed  in  a  symbolic  way 
the  capacity  of  the  Cherubim  for  varied  activity,  in  the 
highest  conception  of  motion,  sight,  touch  and  light. 
Heathen  mythology  sought  to  express  these  extraordinary 
powers  in  the  hundred  eyes  of  Argus,  the  hundred  hands 
of  Briareus,  the  seven  heads  of  the  Hydra  and  the 
varied  shapes  of  Proteus  and  the  man-horse  Centaur. 
Parables  and  symbols  are  far  more  expressive  than 
literal  speech. 

15.  The  last  thought:  In  the  light  of  these  scriptures 
concerning  these  Cherubim  we  confront  some  surprises 
in  the  way  of  interpretation.  First,  that  art  paints  a 
cherub  with  the  winged  face  of  a  baby.  Second,  that 
even  such  a  theologian  as  Dr.  Strong  should  deny  any 
real  existence  to  the  Cherubim,  making  them  only  a  sym- 
bolic representation  of  glorified  humanity.  See  his  article 
on  the  Cherubim  in  his  "  Philosophy  and  Religion." 
This  idea  of  the  Cherubim  representing  glorified  human- 
ity is  based  on  the  doubtful  reading  in  our  lesson,  the 
word  "  us,"  Greek  "  emas,"  in  Revelation  v,  9,  which 
makes  the  Cherubim  sing  a  song  declaring  "  Thou  hast 
redeemed  us  with  thy  blood," — that  is  the  way  the  Com- 
mon Version  reads.     Of  course,   if  the  Cherubim  are 


iv-v]  THE  THRONE  OF  GRACE  109 

redeemed  with  the  blood  of  Christ  they  cannot  be  angels. 
But  the  best  manuscript  authority  leaves  out  that  us— 
so  does  your  American  Standard  Revision  of  that  verse. 
A  still  wilder  interpretation  makes  the  four  Cherubim 
stand  for  animate  creation  as  represented  by  man,  ox, 
eagle,  lion.  Yet  the  wildest  of  all  makes  them  mean 
the  four  continents — Asia,  Africa,  Europe  and  America. 

The  Cherubim  that  John  saw  in  this  vision  are  rep- 
resented as  saying  tirelessly,  continuously :  "  Holy,  Holy, 
Lord  God  Almighty." 

John  saw  twenty-four  elders  in  priestly  garb,  seated 
on  twenty-four  thrones,  each  with  a  crown,  a  harp  and 
a  bowl  of  incense  (see  iv,  4,  10;  v,  8).  The  crown  and 
throne  indicate  their  royalty,  the  harp  signifies  their 
praise  and  the  incense  their  prayers.  The  white  robes 
and  the  offering  of  incense  represent  their  priestly  office. 
The  number  twenty-four  represents  the  perpetuity  of 
their  service.  David  divided  the  priesthood  into  twenty- 
four  courses,  or  reliefs,  so  that  by  successive  rotation 
in  service,  the  temple  worship  should  be  perpetual  (see 
reference  to  Zacharias  in  Luke  i,  8,  9,  23).  The  antitype 
is  the  universal  priesthood  of  all  Christians  under  the 
New  Covenant :  "  Ye  are  to  be  a  holy  priesthood  to  offer 
up  spiritual  sacrifices — a  royal  priesthood"  (I  Peter  ii, 
5,  9).  Or,  as  John  has  already  expressed  it  in  this  book: 
"  He  made  us  to  be  a  kingdom,  to  be  priests  unto  God  " 
(i,  6). 

You  must  be  careful  to  note  that  the  adoration,  praise 
and  prayers  of  Christ's  royal,  New  Testament  priests 
are  oflfered  on  earth.  But  John's  symbolism  here  is  to 
show  how  these  earth-ofiferings  reach  heaven,  and  avail 
there.  We  know  by  experience,  the  adoring,  praising 
and  praying  down  here,  but  we  could  not  know  without 
revelation  the  other  end  of  the  line,  the  reception  ac- 


110  REVELATION  [iv-v 

corded  to  and  the  profit  arising  from  this  earth  service. 
The  vision  means :  "  I  will  show  you  your  song  and 
prayer  entering  heaven."  The  adoration  of  the  King- 
Christian  on  earth,  when  it  gets  to  heaven,  casts  the 
crown  of  earthly  royalty  before  God's  throne  of  grace 
and  sings :  "  Thou  art  worthy,  O  Lord,  to  receive  glory 
and  honour  and  power :  for  thou  hast  created  all  things, 
and  for  thy  pleasure  they  are  and  were  created." 

The  next  thing  that  he  sees  is  a  sealed  book,  which 
the  Father  holds  in  His  right  hand.  You  are  not  to 
think  of  a  book  like  the  printed  Bible.  The  books  of 
that  time  were  manuscript  of  parchment  and  rolled 
around  a  staff.  Suppose  I  had  a  long  piece  of  parchment 
each  end  fastened  to  a  staff  or  roller,  interspaced  into 
seven  sections,  each  section  sealed  up  when  rolled  around 
the  staff.  Then  there  would  be  the  other  staff  to 
which  the  last  part  of  the  roll  would  be  attached,  and 
when  you  read  it  you  unroll  it  from  one  staff  and  roll 
it  after  reading  around  the  other  staff.  What  you  have 
read  would  keep  getting  larger  and  larger,  and  what  you 
had  to  read  would  keep  getting  smaller  and  smaller,  and 
when  you  have  emptied  one  staff  the  other  would  be  full. 

John  saw  that  this  roll  or  book  was  written  on  both 
sides,  every  space  covered,  which  signified  that  nothing 
more  is  to  be  added  to  it.  It  is  complete.  Now,  the 
question  is:  What  does  that  seven  sealed  roll  mean? 
The  rest  of  the  book  will  show  you  that  it  is  a  disclosure 
of  future  events  concerning  the  Kingdom  of  God.  God 
knew  its  contents,  but  it  was  sealed  from  human  and 
angelic  sight,  and  when  the  question  was  asked :  "  Who 
can  break  the  seals  and  open  this  book?"  neither  man 
nor  angel  could  respond.  John  wept  at  the  thought. 
Then  one  of  the  Cherubim  comforted  him :  "  You  need 
not  weep,  the  Lion  of  Judah,  the  root  of  David,  the  Lamb 


iv-v]  THE  THRONE  OF  GRACE  111 

slain  from  the  foundation  of  the  world,  Jesus  Christ  in 
his  glory,  can  break  these  seals  and  open  that  roll." 

Now,  it  is  the  object  of  the  book,  from  chapter  v  on, 
to  forecast  in  symbolic  imagery  the  salient  points  of 
our  Lord's  Kingdom.  Both  sides  of  the  roll  were  cov- 
ered with  writing,  every  space  was  filled  to  indicate,  as 
I  suppose,  the  completeness  of  the  revelation,  so  that  at 
the  end  of  the  book  it  could  be  said  that  no  man  should 
add  to  it  or  take  from  it ;  it  was  complete.  When  it  was 
announced  that  this  Revelator  would  unseal  that  book, 
both  Cherubim  and  Elders  unite  in  singing  this  new 
song :  "  Worthy  art  thou  to  take  the  book  and  open  the 
seals ;  for  thou  wast  slain  and  died  to  purchase  unto  God 
with  thy  blood  (not  "  us,"  but) — men  of  every  tribe, 
and  tongue,  and  people,  and  nation,  and  madest  them  to 
be  unto  our  God  a  kingdom  and  priests,  and  they  reign 
upon  the  earth."  That  is,  while  He  reigns  in  heaven, 
they  reign  on  earth. 

Now,  when  the  twenty-four  Elders,  representing  the 
perpetual  priesthood  of  God's  people,  and  the  four 
Cherubim  sang  that  song,  then  the  countless  host  of 
angels  took  it  up.  The  number  of  them  was  ten  thousand 
times  ten  thousands  of  thousands.  "  Worthy  is  the  Lamb 
that  has  been  slain  to  receive  the  power,  and  riches,  and 
wisdom,  and  might,  and  honour,  and  glory."  Now,  when 
the  uncountable  angels  of  God  sang  that  song,  there 
came  an  echo  to  the  song  (13th  verse),  "and  every 
created  thing  which  is  in  the  heaven  and  on  the  earth, 
and  in  the  earth  and  on  the  sea,  and  all  things  that  are 
in  them,  heard  I  saying:  Unto  him  that  sitteth  on  the 
throne,  and  unto  the  Lamb,  be  the  blessing  and  the 
honour  and  the  glory  and  the  dominion  forever  and 
ever."  This  must  be  the  thought  of  Paul :  "  For  I  reckon 
that  the  sufferings  of  this  present  time  are  not  worthy 


112  REVELATION  [iv-v 

to  be  compared  with  the  glory  which  shall  be  revealed 
to  US-ward.  For  the  earnest  expectation  of  the  creation 
waiteth  for  the  revealing  of  the  sons  of  God.  For  the 
creation  was  subjected  to  vanity,  and  not  of  its  own 
will,  but  by  reason  of  him  who  subjected  it,  in  hope  that 
the  creation  itself  also  shall  be  delivered  from  the  bond- 
age of  corruption  into  the  liberty  of  the  glory  of  the 
children  of  God.  For  we  know  that  the  whole  creation 
groaneth  and  travaileth  in  pain  together  until  now." 
Which  means  that  the  earth,  man's  habitat,  cursed  when 
man  sinned  (Genesis  iii,  17),  shall  partake  of  man's  re- 
demption, so  that  from  the  great  flood  of  fire  attending 
our  Lord's  final  advent,  there  shall  emerge  a  new  heaven 
and  a  new  earth  (II  Peter  iii,  13;  Revelation  xxi,  i). 


EXAMINATION  QUESTIONS 

1.  What  the  first  thought  of  this  revelation? 

2.  Cite  Old  Testament  examples  of  the  thought. 

3.  To  most  Christians  how  does  heaven  appear,  and  the 
consequent   effect   on   their  happiness,   usefulness   and   life? 

4.  What  the  power  of  hearing  heavenly  voices  and  seeing 
heavenly  visions?     Illustrate  by  Stephen. 

5.  What  the  throne  revealed  in  this  vision,  and  what  symbol 
indicates  it? 

6.  In  what  way  the  Father  revealed? — The  Spirit? — The 
Son? 

7.  What  do  the  Elders  represent — the  meaning  of  the 
24 — meaning  of  "  harp  " — of  "  incense  " — and  is  it  a  picture 
of  adoration  praise,  and  prayer  as  offered  on  earth,  or  as 
reaching  heaven? 

The  Cherubim 

8.  The  difference,  if  any,  between  Seraphim  and  Cherubim? 

9.  Prove  from  Ezekiel,  tenth  chapter,  that  Cherubim  and 
"  living  creatures  "  are  the  same. 

10.  Prove   that   the    Cherubim   are  angels. 

11.  What  their  number  always? 

12.  Explain  the  symbolism  of  four  faces,  eight  hands,  eight 
wings,  four  wheels? 

13.  Illustrate  a  "  wheel  within  a  wheel." 


iv-v]  THE  THRONE  OF  GRACE  113 

14.  What  use  did  J.  R.  Graves  make  of  "a  wheel  within  a 
wheel"  and  how  did  he  misapply  the  imagery? 

15.  Meaning  of  the  form  of  the  several  faces — man,  eagle, 
ox,  lion? 

16.  Cite  the  passages  proving  that  the  four  cherubim  com- 
bined constitute  the  chariot  of  God,  and  give  instances  of  use. 

17.  Where  the  spirit  or  motor-power,  of  the  chariot,  and 
compare  with  auto  and  aeroplane? 

18.  With  what  are  the  Cherubim  always  associated,  and 
cite  proof  from  the  tabernacle — the  temple,  and  Ezekiel's  ideal 
temple  ? 

19.  What  the  sealed  book,  and  explain  how  the  seven  seals 
are  applied,  and  how  each  seal  in  succession  when  broken  would 
reveal  only  a  part  of  the  book? 

20.  What  the  meaning  of  "  sea "  in  this  book,  and  explain 
why  this  sea  seen  in  heaven  is  placid,  and  on  earth  disturbed? 

21.  Who  governs  the  earth  sea,  and  cite  proof?  (See  Rev- 
elation xii,  17;  xiii,  i.) 


VIII 

THE  OPENING  OF  THE  SEALS 
Revelation  VI,  i — VIII,  i 

THE  theme  of  this  chapter  is  the  opening  of  the 
seals,  or  the  gospel  as  preached  from  John's  time 
to  the  final  advent  of  our  Lord.  As  you  observe, 
this  study  concludes  with  the  ist  verse  of  the  eighth 
chapter,  separated  from  its  context  by  artificial  chapter 
division — it  should  be  the  last  verse  of  the  seventh  chap- 
ter. The  study  introduces  the  prophetic  element  of  the 
book,  which  extends  to  the  end.  From  the  standpoint 
of  the  writer,  it  is  the  first  revelation  of  "  the  things 
which  shall  come  to  pass  hereafter." 

We  will  consider  first  the  Revelator.  In  the  gospel 
our  Lord  is  Himself  the  revelation  of  God  the  Father: 
here  He  is  the  Revelator.  The  6th  verse  of  the  fifth 
chapter  thus  presents  Him :  "  A  Lamb  standing  as 
though  he  had  been  slain,  having  seven  horns  and  seven 
eyes,  which  are  the  seven  Spirits  of  God."  The  seven 
horns  indicate  fulness  of  authority  and  power  in  each 
of  the  seven  churches.  The  seven  eyes,  explained  as  the 
seven  Spirits  of  God,  indicate  His  sending  of  the  Holy 
Spirit,  who  on  earth  is  His  vicar  and  bears  witness  to 
Him  alone,  and  through  whom  He  is  present  with  and 
controls  the  seven  churches.  His  worthiness  to  be  the 
Revelator,  and  to  constitute  His  people  a  kingdom  and 
priests,  and  to  receive  all  power,  riches,  wisdom,  might, 

114 


vi-vm]      THE  OPENING  OF  THE  SEALS       115 

honour,  glory,  blessings  and  dominion,  is  expressly  as- 
cribed to  His  vicarious  expiation  of  sin  as  the  Lamb 
slain.  This  appears  in  the  fifth  chapter,  verses  9,  10, 
12,  13,  and  His  worthiness  on  this  ground  is  recognized 
by  the  united  voices  of  Cherubim,  Elders,  all  the  Holy 
Angels  and  by  the  whole  creation.  So  qualified.  He 
opens  the  seals  and  reveals  in  sublime  imagery  the  future 
of  the  Kingdom  of  God.  And  so  this  revelation  is 
prophecy. 

The  seven  disclosures  which  follow  the  opening  of 
the  seven  seals  are  divided  into  two  distinct  groups :  a 
group  of  four  and  a  group  of  three.  The  four  are  in- 
troduced, one  after  another,  by  the  four  Cherubim  in 
succession,  and  in  response  to  their  "  Come,"  "  Come," 
"  Come,"  "  Come,"  appear  horses  varying  in  colour. 
With  the  group  of  three  the  Cherubim  appear  to  have 
no  direct  connection.  The  fifth  seal  disclosure  reveals 
the  impatient  martyr-cry  for  vengeance,  uttered  on  earth 
indeed,  but  here  presented  as  it  reaches  heaven,  and  the 
sixth  seal  discloses  portents  which  herald  the  long  de- 
layed vengeance  for  which  the  martyrs  prayed.  The 
opening  of  the  seventh  seal  is  followed  by  these  words: 
"  There  was  silence  in  heaven  for  half  an  hour."  That 
is  to  say,  temporarily  there  is  no  disclosure  of  what 
followed  the  opening  of  the  seventh  seal — the  climax 
for  a  while  is  suppressed.  We  do  not  get  to  what  that 
seventh  seal  would  have  disclosed  until  we  reach  the 
climax  in  the  twentieth  chapter,  and  in  every  other 
synchronous  view  there  is  a  pause,  or  a  suppression  of 
the  climax  which,  when  it  comes,  fits  all  four  of  the 
synchronous  views.  We  have  already  seen  the  agency 
of  the  Cherubim  in  giving  revelations  to  Isaiah  and 
Ezekiel. 

Now,  let  us  take  up  this  study  in  order.    When  our 


116  REVELATION  [vi-vin 

glorified  Lord  opened  the  first  seal,  one  of  the  Cherubim 
shouted  like  thunder :  "  Come  " — not  "  come  and  see  " 
as  the  King  James  version  has  it,  as  if  spoken  to  John; 
not  "  come  Lord  Jesus,  in  thy  final  advent "  as  the 
pre-millennial  interpreter  would  have  it.  The  Cherub  says 
"  Come,"  and  he  is  not  calling  either  John  or  Jesus — 
they  are  both  there  with  him.  We  know  what  each 
Cherub  called  for  by  what  appeared  in  answer  to  the 
call.  There  appeared  in  succession,  following  the 
"  Come,"  "  Come,"  "  Come,"  "  Come,"  four  horses  with 
their  riders.  This  imagery  of  different  coloured  horses 
is  borrowed  from  the  book  of  Zechariah.  In  a  para- 
graph of  the  first  chapter  and  in  the  whole  of  the  sixth 
chapter,  we  have  Zechariah's  vision  of  the  different 
coloured  horses  and  the  chariots,  which  are  explained 
as  the  four  spirits  which  stand  before  the  throne  of 
God,  and  go  forth  unto  all  the  earth  at  the  bidding  of 
God,  and  by  whom  all  the  earth  is  quieted.  Here  in 
our  lesson  we  see  these  horses  all  going  forth  at  the 
bidding  of  the  four  living  creatures.  In  Zechariah  the 
result  of  the  going  forth  is  the  crowning  of  Joshua  the 
high  priest,  followed  by  these  words :  "  Behold  the  man 
whose  name  is  the  Branch,  and  he  shall  grow  up  out 
of  his  place;  and  he  shall  build  a  temple  of  Jehovah, 
and  he  shall  be  a  priest  upon  his  throne,  and  the  counsel 
of  peace  shall  be  between  them  both  " — that  is,  between 
the  king  and  the  priest — "  and  the  crowns  shall  be  dis- 
tributed among  his  followers." 

Here  in  our  study  the  result  is  somewhat  the  same — 
the  crowning  of  Christ  the  royal  priest  is  followed  by 
the  crowning  of  all  His  followers.  In  Zechariah  we 
have  the  type  of  the  successful  issue  of  the  rebuilding 
of  the  temple  through  Joshua  and  Zerubbabel,  or  high 
priest  and  civil  government,  and  that  in  spite  of  all 


vi-vm]      THE  OPENING  OF  THE  SEALS       117 

opposition.  Here  in  Revelation,  through  these  opened 
seals,  we  see  the  antitype,  Christ's  successful  building 
of  His  spiritual  temple  and  the  crowning  of  all  His 
followers.  In  Zechariah  all  the  chariots,  no  matter  what 
the  colour  of  horses,  contribute  an  appropriate  part 
toward  the  glorious  result,  so  here  the  work  imaged  by 
all  these  horses,  whether  apparently  good  or  bad  in 
individual  result,  conspired  together  to  one  glorious  re- 
sult. We  cannot  rightly  interpret  Revelation  without 
antecedent  understanding  of  these  horses  and  chariots 
of  Zechariah.     But  more  particularly : 

When  one  of  the  Cherubim  said  "  Come,"  the  record 
states  that  there  appeared  a  white  horse  and  a  rider  who 
had  a  crown  on  his  head,  and  carried  a  bow,  and  he  went 
forth  conquering  and  to  conquer.  This  imagery  shows 
the  saving  power  of  the  gospel  preached,  to  those  who 
lovingly  receive  it,  even  unto  the  end  of  time.  We  shall 
see  this  same  white  horse  and  his  rider  reappear  in  the 
last  synchronous  view,  nineteenth  chapter  and  nth  verse, 
but  in  a  somewhat  dififerent  role.  The  Old  Testament 
prophecies  throw  much  light  on  this  royal  rider  and 
conquerer.  In  this  connection  I  ask  you  to  turn  to  the 
forty-fifth  Psalm,  and  read  from  the  ist  to  the  8th 
verse :  "  My  heart  overfloweth  with  a  goodly  matter ;  I 
speak  the  things  which  I  have  made  touching  the  king. 
My  tongue  is  the  pen  of  a  ready  writer.  Thou  art  fairer 
than  the  children  of  men ;  grace  is  poured  into  thy  lips ; 
therefore  God  hath  blessed  thee  forever.  Gird  thy  sword 
upon  thy  thigh,  O  Mighty  One,  thy  glory  and  in  thy 
majesty.  And  in  thy  majesty  ride  on  prosperously;  be- 
cause of  truth  and  meekness  and  righteousness :  and  thy 
right  hand  shall  teach  thee  terrible  things.  Thine  arrows 
are  sharp;  the  peoples  fall  under  thee;  they  are  in  the 
heart  of  the  king's  enemies.     Thy  throne,  O  God,  is 


118  REVELATION  [vi-vra 

for  ever  and  ever;  a  sceptre  of  equity  is  the  sceptre  of 
thy  kingdom;  thou  hast  loved  righteousness  and  hated 
wickedness.  Therefore,  God,  thy  God,  hath  anointed 
thee  vi^ith  the  oil  of  gladness  above  thy  fellows.  All 
thy  garments  smell  of  myrrh  and  aloes  and  cassia;  out 
of  ivory  palaces  stringed  instruments  have  made  thee 
glad." 

Now,  that  tribute  to  the  king  in  the  forty-fifth  Psalm, 
going  forth  conquering,  shooting  his  arrows,  is  very 
similar  in  meaning  to  this  rider  on  the  white  horse  that 
goes  forth  conquering  and  to  conquer.  So  to  interpret 
our  vision,  we  must  conceive  of  the  risen,  ascended  and 
glorified  Christ  receiving  the  kingdom,  as  it  is  set  forth 
in  the  13th  and  14th  verses  of  the  seventh  chapter  of 
Daniel :  "  I  saw  in  the  night  visions,  and  behold,  there 
came  with  the  clouds  of  heaven  one  like  unto  the  Son 
of  man,  and  he  came  even  to  the  Ancient  of  days,  and 
they  brought  him  near  before  them,  and  there  was  given 
him  dominion,  and  glory,  and  a  kingdom  that  all  the 
people,  nations  and  languages  should  serve  him :  his 
dominion  is  an  everlasting  dominion,  which  shall  not 
pass  away,  and  his  kingdom  that  which  shall  not  be 
destroyed."  In  the  i8th  verse  it  says:  "  But  the  saints 
of  the  Most  High  shall  receive  the  kingdom,  and  possess 
the  kingdom  forever,  even  for  ever  and  ever." 

That  passage  in  the  seventh  chapter  of  Daniel  tells 
of  Christ's  ascension,  and  of  His  reception  of  the  kingly 
power,  and  the  manner  in  which  He  enlarged  the  king- 
dom here  upon  earth.  It  is  in  line  with  this  rider  on 
the  white  horse,  going  forth  conquering  and  to  con- 
quer. 

Again  we  have  a  similar  thought  in  the  second  Psalm. 
"Why  do  the  heathen  rage,  and  the  people  imagine 
a  vain  thing?    The  kings  of  the  earth  set  themselves, 


vi-vm]      THE  OPENING  OF  THE  SEALS       119 

and  the  rulers  take  counsel  together  against  the  Lord 
and  against  his  anointed.  Let  us  break  their  bands 
asunder,  and  cast  their  cords  from  us.  He  that  sitteth 
in  the  heavens  shall  laugh ;  the  Lord  shall  have  them 
in  derision.  Yet  have  I  set  my  king  upon  my  holy  hill 
of  Zion,"  and  it  concludes  by  saying:  "Kiss  the  Son, 
lest  he  be  angry  and  ye  perish  from  the  way  v^^hen  his 
wrath  is  ^  kindled  but  a  little,"  and  "  all  the  uttermost 
parts  of  the  earth  are  given  unto  him  for  his  possession." 
The  second  Psalm  is  in  line  with  the  forty-fifth,  and 
with  the  seventh  chapter  of  Daniel,  and  portrays  sub- 
stantially what  is  accomplished  by  the  rider  on  the 
white  horse  going  forth  conquering  and  to  conquer. 

Again,  in  the  one-hundred-and-tenth  Psalm  it  is  said : 
"The  Lord  said  unto  my  lord,  sit  thou  at  my  right  hand 
until  I  make  thine  enemies  thy  footstool."  That  is  spoken 
to  Christ  when  He  ascended  into  heaven  after  His 
resurrection.  And  then  it  goes  on  to  show  that  from 
His  throne  in  heaven  Christ  reigns  here  on  earth,  and 
that  in  the  day  He  leads  out  His  armies  His  young  men 
shall  be  volunteers — not  conscripts.  And  they  shall  go 
forth  in  the  beauties  of  holiness  and  be  as  multitudinous 
as  the  drops  of  the  dew  in  the  dawn  of  the  morning. 
Christ  in  heaven,  having  received  His  kingdom,  is  dis- 
pensing His  word  on  earth  through  the  Spirit,  the 
churches  and  the  preachers.  So  the  going  forth  of  the 
white  horse  with  its  rider,  who  is  the  King  of  kings 
and  Lord  of  lords,  signifies  the  gospel  preached  in  its 
triumph.  It  brings  life  and  peace  to  those  who  receive 
it  and  love  it.  It  is  so  presented  in  the  tenth  chapter 
of  Matthew  and  13th  verse :  "  When  you  go  into  a  city 
or  unto  a  house,  say,  Peace  be  on  this  house,  and 
if  there  be  in  that  house  a  son  of  peace,  this  peace  shall 
rest  on  him." 


120  REVELATION  [vi-vin 

This  is  the  signification  of  the  opening  of  the  first 
seal,  and  we  see  the  agency  of  the  Cherubim  in  bringing 
it  about.    Now  we  take  up 

The  Second  Seal — sixth  chapter  and  4th  verse :  "  And 
another  horse  came  forth,  a  red  horse,  and  to  him  that 
sat  thereon  it  was  given  to  take  peace  from  the  earth, 
that  they  should  slay  one  another.  And  there  was  given 
unto  him  a  great  sword."  That  means,  in  plain  English, 
this :  The  divisive  efifect  of  the  gospel  preached  to  the 
end  of  time,  in  harmony  with  these  words  in  the  tenth 
chapter  of  Matthew,  34th  to  36th  verse :  "  I  came  not  to 
send  peace,  but  a  sword,  for  I  came  to  set  a  man  at 
variance  against  his  father,  and  the  daughter  against 
her  mother,  and  the  daughter-in-law  against  her  mother- 
in-law,  and  a  man's  foes  shall  be  they  of  his  own  house- 
hold." 

This  red  horse  shows  the  same  gospel  preached,  but 
having  a  different  effect,  according  to  the  words  of  our 
Lord,  as  I  have  just  read  them.  Now,  while  the  gospel 
is  intended  for  love  and  peace,  as  presented  in  the 
imagery  of  the  first  horse  and  his  rider,  and  while  that 
effect  follows  when  the  gospel  is  lovingly  received,  yet 
on  account  of  its  high  demands  many  reject  it,  and  so 
it  becomes  the  occasion  of  bitterness,  contention  and 
strife.  You  can  easily  see  why  this  is  true,  because  the 
gospel  wars  against  all  selfishness,  all  impiety,  all  social 
evils,  all  idolatry  and  every  wicked  business.  Those  fol- 
lowing these  evils  array  themselves  against  the  gospel 
as  its  bitterest  enemies  when  its  preaching  disturbs  them. 
Take  the  case  presented  in  the  sixteenth  chapter  of 
Acts.  Paul  in  the  city  of  Philippi  finds  a  poor  girl 
possessed  with  a  demon,  owned  by  a  syndicate  of  men, 
who  count  her  money  value  in  proportion  to  her  sub- 
jection to  the  demon  that  possesses  her,  and  they  make 


vi-vm]      THE  OPENING  OF  THE  SEALS       121 

their  money  out  of  the  prostitution  of  this  woman's  soul 
to  Satan.  Now  the  gospel  comes  there  in  the  mouth  of 
Paul  and  casts  out  that  evil  spirit.  The  result  is  that  this 
syndicate,  when  they  saw  that  the  hope  of  their  gain 
was  gone,  arrested  Paul  and  Silas. 

It  had  precisely  this  effect  at  Ephesus.  It  went  forth 
conquering  and  to  conquer,  like  the  white  horse.  After 
a  while  it  strikes  the  business  of  Demetrius,  a  silver- 
smith, and  other  silversmiths,  who  were  making  a  big 
pile  of  money  out  of  selling  silver  shrines  representing 
the  goddess  Diana,  and  as  Paul  preached  that  "  these 
be  no  gods  that  are  made  with  hands,"  Demetrius  said : 
"  This  man  is  breaking  up  our  business,"  and  he  raised 
a  row,  with  the  result  that  Paul  finally  left  the  city. 
Now,  everywhere  that  the  gospel  is  preached  some  will 
receive  it  lovingly,  and  some  will  reject  its  high  claims 
and  make  for  division,  bitterness  and  strife. 

If  any  one  of  you  go  to  a  place  and  preach,  and  a 
mother  of  a  family  is  converted,  the  unconverted  father 
gets  mad — or  the  daughter  is  converted  and  the  son 
gets  mad.  There  the  gospel  seems  to  have  been  the 
occasion  of  strife. 

The  Third  Seal:  "The  third  Cherub  said.  Come, 
and  I  saw,  and  behold,  a  black  horse,  and  he  that  sat 
thereon  had  a  balance  [that  is,  a  pair  of  scales]  in  his 
hands.  And  I  heard,  as  it  were,  a  voice  in  the  midst 
of  the  four  living  creatures,  saying:  A  measure  of 
wheat  for  a  shilling;  and  three  measures  of  barley  for 
a  shilling."  What  does  that  imagery  represent?  It 
represents  the  gospel  in  the  hands  of  the  hireling  and 
apostate  church,  doling  it  out  in  tiny  bits  at  high  famine 
prices.  The  Bible  is  locked  up  in  the  Latin  Version,  the 
people  are  shut  out  from  it  only  as  it  is  vouchsafed  in 
corrupt  fragments,  and  a  charge  is  made  for  every  re- 


122  REVELATION  [vi-vin 

ligious  service  from  the  cradle  to  the  grave.  The  house 
of  God  has  scales  in  it,  and  when  the  weary  soul  comes 
up  the  minister  weighs  out  a  fragment  of  consolation 
for  so  much.  "If  I  baptize  your  baby,  so  much;  if  I 
marry  you,  so  much ;  if  I  visit  you  in  sickness,  so  much ; 
if  I  attend  your  funeral,  so  much;  if  I  pray  for  your 
dead,  so  much;  for  an  indulgence,  so  much."  It  was 
Tetzel's  sale  of  indulgences  that  provoked  the  Reforma- 
tion. Its  blessings  are  beyond  the  reach  of  the  poor. 
For  example,  in  Mexico,  as  a  distinguished  Mexican 
general  told  me  some  years  ago  when  I  was  in  Mexico : 
"  The  multitude  of  our  people  cannot  marry — they  can- 
not pay  the  price  that  the  priest  charges ;  hence  concu- 
binage all  over  the  land.  They  cannot  read  the  Bible; 
the  priest  doles  out  to  them  such  parts  as  he  judges  to 
be  good  for  them  and  that  must  be  accepted  as  the  priests 
interpret  it."  The  famine  as  it  is  represented  by  this 
horse,  is  not  of  food  for  the  body,  but  of  food  for  the 
soul.  As  Amos  says  (viii,  ii)  :  "Behold  the  day  is  come, 
saith  the  Lord  Jehovah,  when  I  will  send  a  famine  on 
the  land,  not  a  famine  for  bread,  nor  a  thirst  for  water, 
but  of  hearing  the  words  of  Jehovah."  Now,  that  is  the 
kind  of  a  famine  that  this  black  horse  indicates.  Through 
many  centuries  since  Christ  died  some  ecclesiastics  have 
thus  doled  out,  not  only  God's  word,  but  have  put  a  price 
on  every  religious  favor. 

The  Fourth  Seal  (chapter  vi,  7)  :  "  And  when  he 
opened  the  fourth  seal  I  heard  the  voice  of  the  fourth 
living  creature  saying:  Come,  and  I  saw,  and  behold, 
a  pale  horse,  and  he  that  sat  upon  him  his  name  wis 
Death,  and  Hades  followed  with  him."  Hades  is  the  state 
of  being  disembodied.  When  the  body  is  killed  the 
spirit  goes  into  the  spirit-world.  "  And  there  was  given 
unto  him  the  fourth  part  of  the  earth  to  kill  with  the 


vi-vin]      THE  OPENING  OF  THE  SEALS       123 

sword,  and  famine,  and  death,  and  the  wild  beasts  of 
the  earth,"  Now,  what  does  that  mean?  This  imagery 
represents  the  lovers  of  the  true  gospel  as  persecuted 
unto  death — sword,  hunger,  death,  and  the  wild  beasts 
are  all  literal.  Some  Christians  are  put  to  death  by  the 
sword,  some  die  of  starvation,  some  put  to  death  by  tor- 
ture or  the  martyr's  stake,  and  some  cast  to  the  wild 
beasts.  The  application  is  to  all  persecutions  for  con- 
science' sake  at  any  time,  whether  Pagan,  Papal,  or  Prot- 
estant. Our  Lord  foretold  that  as  they  went  forth  to 
preach  they  would  be  persecuted,  and  told  them  to  fear 
not  them  that  killed  the  body  only,  but  rather  to  fear 
him  that  was  able  to  destroy  both  soul  and  body  in  hell. 
It  refers  to  the  persecution  then  going  on  in  John's  time, 
and  to  the  ten  years'  tribulation  that  followed  in  Smyrna, 
the  death  of  their  pastor  and  all  the  other  persecutions 
until  the  apostate  church  becomes  enthroned  at  Rome. 
Then  all  the  Roman  Catholic  persecutions,  the  Waldenses, 
the  Albigenses,  the  Lollards,  Huss,  Jerome,  Luther,  the 
horrible  persecution  in  Spain  and  in  Holland  and  all  the 
Low  Country  under  the  Duke  of  Alva  and  his  soldiers ; 
and  it  also  refers  to  the  persecution  by  the  Protestants 
when  they  were  in  power,  and  the  persecution  of  the 
Baptists  by  Luther,  the  persecution  of  Servetus  by  John 
Calvin,  the  persecution  of  the  Baptists  in  England  and 
the  United  States.  The  idea  of  the  four  horses  is  not 
necessarily  successive.  In  any  age  all  four  results  of 
the  gospel  preached  may  appear.  That  is  not  the  thought, 
but  these  are  four  different  views  of  the  reception  of  the 
gospel  as  it  is  preached.  You  may  find  all  of  them  illus- 
trated in  two  persons.  A  sermon  may  be  preached,  two 
men  sitting  side  by  side.  One  of  them  receives  it  and 
he  is  at  peace ;  the  other,  his  brother,  hates  it,  and  there 
is  a  strife  between  the  two  brothers.     Finally  the  brother 


lU  REVELATION  [vi-vni 

that  hates  gets  so  far  away  from  the  word  of  God  that 
in  his  soul  there  is  a  famine  of  the  word  of  God.  Then 
his  hate  becomes  so  intense  that  he  kills  his  brother. 

In  the  parable  of  our  Lord,  called  "  The  Sower,"  or 
the  four  kinds  of  soil,  you  have  a  thought  very  similar. 
The  sower  went  forth  to  sow,  and  the  seed  fell  in  four 
different  places,  and  what  became  of  the  seed  as  it  fell  in 
these  four  different  places  is  explained  by  our  Lord  in 
His  interpretation  of  the  parable. 

The  Fifth  Seal  (verse  9)  :  "  And  when  he  opened 
the  fifth  seal  I  saw  underneath  the  altar  the  souls  of 
them  who  had  been  slain  for  the  word  of  God,  for  this 
testimony  which  they  held,  and  they  cried  with  a  great 
voice,  saying,  How  long,  O  Master,  holy  and  true,  dost 
thou  not  judge  and  avenge  our  blood  on  them  that  dwell 
on  the  earth?  And  there  was  given  unto  each  of 
them  a  white  robe,  and  it  was  said  unto  them  that  they 
should  rest  yet  a  little  while  that  their  fellow-servants 
also,  and  their  brethren,  who  should  be  killed  even  as 
they  were,  should  have  fulfilled  their  course." 

In  all  the  persecutions  under  the  fourth  seal,  each 
impatient  martyr,  while  yet  suffering,  was  crying  out 
for  God's  vindication.  In  effect  the  complaint  against 
God's  delay  of  vengeance  was  an  impeachment  of  divine 
justice.  On  earth  these  prayers  seemed  vain.  But  the 
object  of  the  disclosure  of  the  fifth  seal  is  to  show  you 
heaven's  reception  of  the  martyr-cry  for  vengeance  ut- 
tered on  earth.  The  idea  is  similar  in  Genesis  iv,  10,  11 ; 
God's  words  to  Cain :  "  The  voice  of  thy  brother's  blood 
crieth  unto  me  from  the  ground,  which  opened  its  mouth 
to  receive  it."  Spurgeon,  in  glowing  imagery,  pictures 
Abel's  spirit,  evicted  from  its  clay  tenement  by  murder, 
rushing  into  heaven's  court  and  crying :  "  Vengeance  on 
my  murderer,"   and  happily  contrasts   it  with   Christ's 


vi-vra]      THE  OPENING  OF  THE  SEALS       125 

blood,  "  which  speaketh  better  things  for  us  than  the 
blood  of  Abel,  even  crying:  Father,  forgive  them,  they 
know  not  what  they  do."  A  good  exposition  of  the 
fifth  seal  may  be  found  in  our  Lord's  parable  (Luke 
xviii,  1-8).  The  Lord  is  exhorting  men  to  pray  all  the 
time  for  vindication,  and  not  to  faint,  illustrating  it  by 
the  widow  and  the  unjust  judge,  and  concluding  by  say- 
ing: "Arid  shall  not  God  avenge  his  own  elect  that  cry 
to  him  day  and  night,  and  yet  he  is  long-suffering  over 
them."  Then  He  adds :  "  Nevertheless,  when  the  Son  of 
man  cometh  shall  he  find  that  faith  on  the  earth  ?  "  What 
faith?  The  faith  that  God  will  ultimately  avenge  the  in- 
juries done  to  His  people.  It  does  not  mean,  shall  He 
find  a  saving  faith  on  the  earth?  There  are  hundreds 
of  people — thousands  of  them — who  have  saving  faith, 
but  yet  seem  to  have  little  or  no  faith  that  God  will  vindi- 
cate all  their  wrongs. 

I  want  to  present  that  more  particularly,  as  it  is  very 
important.  In  Bulwer's  drama  of  "  Richelieu,"  the 
Queen  of  France — Anne  of  Austria — said  to  the  sceptical 
Cardinal,  who  was  her  enemy :  "  The  Almighty,  my  Lord 
Cardinal,  does  not  pay  every  week,  but  at  the  last  He 
pays."  The  things  occurring  here  in  which  for  the  time 
being  evil  triumphs,  give  the  saints  great  discouragement, 
and  they  cry  out  because  God  does  not  speedily  execute 
judgment  on  their  oppressors.  So  the  object  of  the  fifth 
seal  is  not  to  show  us  the  prayers  as  they  are  uttered 
here  on  earth,  but  what  becomes  of  them  when  they  get 
to  heaven.  He  saw,  under  the  altar,  the  souls  of  them 
that  were  beheaded  for  the  testimony  of  the  Lord,  and 
they  cried  out  "how  long?"  That  cry  was  uttered  on 
earth,  but  is  here  shown  as  heaven  received  it.  His 
reply  is :  "I  will  clothe  you  in  white  now,  but  rest  a 
while ;  wait  until  the  time  of  vengeance  comes ;  wait  until 


126  REVELATION  [vi-vin 

all  other  martyrs  fulfil  their  course,  and  then  all  at  once 
God  will  fully  avenge  you." 

Motley's  "  Rise  of  the  Dutch  Republic,"  and  his  "  His- 
tory of  the  United  Netherlands,"  tell  how  the  Spaniards 
capture  city  after  city.  No  mercy  is  shown;  the  men 
are  killed,  the  women  are  subjected  to  shameful  indigni- 
ties; the  children  are  impaled  on  spears  or  their  heads 
cut  off  and  fastened  to  spikes,  and  every  conceivable  evil 
and  horror  is  visited  upon  them,  until  the  question  rises : 
"  Where  is  God  ?  "  We  need  to  recall  the  words  of  the 
German  poet.  Von  Logau, 

"  The  mills  of  God  grind  slowly, 
But  they  grind  exceeding  small ; 
Though  with   patience    He   stands   waiting, 
With  exactness  grinds  He  all." 

Law  writers  tell  us  that  laws  restrain  crime  only  as 
punishment  is  speedy  and  certain.  An  Old  Testament 
writer  anticipated  their  wisdom :  "  Because  sentence 
against  an  evil  deed  is  not  speedily  executed,  the  hearts 
of  evil-doers  are  fully  set  in  them  to  do  mischief." 
Shakespeare,  in  "  Hamlet,"  makes  "  the  law's  delay  " 
provocation  for  suicide.  So  the  lesson  of  Paul  is  hard: 
"Avenge  not  yourself — give  place  to  God's  wrath;  if 
thine  enemy  hunger  feed  him,  if  he  thirst  give  him  drink, 
and  by  so  doing  heap  coals  of  fire  on  his  head." 

God's  delay  in  avenging  is  explicable  by  the  facts: 

1.  No  criminal  can  escape. 

2.  No  bribery,  perjury  or  technicality  can  avail. 

3.  The  sufferer  is  trained  in  patience  by  tribulation. 

4.  No  witness  can  abscond. 

5.  The  punishment  will  be  complete  and  exactly  pro- 
portioned to  the  heinousness  of  the  offence. 

6.  God  delays  to  punish  that  there  may  be  space  for 


vi-vm]      THE  OPENING  OF  THE  SEALS       127 

repenting.  (See  Acts  iii,  14,  19;  Romans  ii,  4;  H  Peter 
iii,  8,  9,  15.) 

John  Milton  quotes  our  very  passage  (Revelation 
vi,  10),  and  applies  it  to  the  evils  perpetrated  on  the 
Albigenses  by  the  Roman  Catholic  church.  He  says: 
"  Avenge,  O  Lord,  Thy  slaughter'd  saints,  whose  bones 
Lie  scatter'd  on  the  Alpine  mountains  cold." 

The  Sixth  Seal:  "  And  I  saw  when  he  opened  the 
sixth  seal,  that  there  was  a  great  earthquake,  and  the  sun 
became  as  black  as  sackcloth  of  hair,  and  the  whole 
moon  became  as  blood,  and  the  stars  of  heaven  fell  unto 
the  earth,  as  a  fig  tree  casteth  her  unripe  figs  when  she 
is  shaken  by  a  great  wind,  and  the  heaven  was  removed 
as  a  scroll  as  it  is  rolled  up,  and  every  mountain  and  island 
were  moved  out  of  their  places,  and  the  kings  of  the 
earth  and  the  princes,  and  the  chief  captains,  and  the 
rich  and  the  strong  and  every  bondman  and  freeman,  hid 
themselves  in  the  caves,  and  the  rocks  of  the  mountains, 
and  they  say  to  the  mountains  and  to  the  rocks.  Fall 
on  us,  and  hide  us  from  the  face  of  him  that  sitteth  on 
the  throne,  and  from  the  wrath  of  the  Lamb;  for  the 
great  day  of  his  wrath  is  come,  and  who  is  able  to 
stand  ?  "  The  opening  of  this  seal  reveals  the  portents 
that  herald  God's  final  vengeance. 

Now,  you  see  that  that  sixth  seal  brings  you  to  the 
end  of  time.  Our  Lord  also  says  in  His  great  prophecy 
in  the  twenty- fourth  chapter  of  Matthew :  "  After  the 
tribulation  of  those  days  the  sun  shall  be  darkened  as  by 
an  eclipse,  and  the  moon  will  not  give  her  light,  and 
the  stars  shall  fall."  It  is  certain  that  there  comes  a 
time  when  God  does  answer  the  long  deferred  petition 
of  His  people  for  vengeance  upon  their  oppressors. 

The  seventh  chapter  presents  this  great  thought :  That 
God's  imminent  wrath,  just  about  to  fall,  is  suspended 


128  REVELATION  [vi-vin 

until  all  the  righteous  are  sealed  and  so  safe-guarded. 
And  then  follows  the  sealing  of  the  144,000  of  the  Jews; 
a  symbolic  number  representing  12,000  or  a  complete 
number  from  each  tribe,  and  then  a  great  multitude  that 
no  man  can  number,  out  of  every  nation,  and  tribe,  and 
tongue  and  country.  Every  one  of  them  must  be  saved 
before  those  terrible  convulsions  that  attend  the  advent 
of  our  Lord,  when  the  heavens  shall  be  rolled  together 
as  a  scroll,  when  the  whole  world  shall  be  wrapped  in 
fire.  It  cannot  take  place  as  long  as  a  righteous  man 
is  living  on  the  earth,  or  a  righteous  man's  dead  body  is 
sleeping  in  a  grave.  These  must  get  out  of  the  way  first. 
As  when  Abraham  said  to  God :  "  You  are  about  to  de- 
stroy Sodom  and  Gomorrah.  Shall  not  the  Judge  of  all 
the  earth  do  right  ?  It  may  be  there  are  fifty  good  men 
in  that  city ;  will  you  destroy  them  ?  "  He  said,  "  If  there 
be  fifty,  no" — perhaps  forty — perhaps  thirty — perhaps 
twenty — perhaps  ten.  And  when  not  ten  could  be  found, 
the  angel  grasped  hold  of  the  only  righteous  man.  Lot,  and 
said  to  him :  "  We  cannot  visit  God's  wrath  upon  this 
place  until  you  get  out,"  and  they  dragged  him  out.  So 
the  vengeance  that  comes  with  this  advent  does  not  reach 
this  earth  until  each  child  of  God  is  secure. 

The  Seventh  Seal:  It  says  that  when  the  seventh  seal 
was  opened  "  there  was  a  silence  in  heaven  for  half  an 
hour."  Which  means,  that  there  is  no  disclosure  just 
yet.  The  silence  will  be  broken  when  the  climax  of  all 
the  synchronous  views  arrives.  That  climax  is  Revela- 
tion XX,  11-15,  which  agrees  with  the  climax  of  our 
Lord's  other  great  prophecy — Matthew  xxv,  31-46,  and 
with  Paul's  climax,  II  Thessalonians  ii,  6-1 1.  In  the 
same  way  and  for  the  same  purpose,  the  disclosure  of 
the  seven  thunders  is  sealed  up  for  a  while.  That  is,  that 
silence  will  be  broken  after  a  while,  and  you  will  be  told 


vi-vm]      THE  OPENING  OF  THE  SEALS       129 

what  would  have  happened  right  there — it  is  just  a  tem- 
porary suspension  of  the  cHmax,  which  will  be  clearly 
stated  when  you  come  to  it.  Every  one  of  the  parallel 
views  before  you :  the  seals,  the  trumpets,  the  two  women, 
the  great  holy  war,  every  one  of  them  will  stop  just  be- 
fore the  climax.  And  then  in  the  twentieth  chapter  and 
the  nth  verse  we  have  the  climax  that  fits  every  one  of 
them.  He  means  to  say  that  there  must  be  silence  and 
no  record  of  what  the  seventh  seal  would  disclose  for 
a  while ;  so  when  the  seven  thunders  were  about  to  sound, 
He  says :  "  Do  not  record  that ;  wait." 

EXAMINATION  QUESTIONS 

1.  In  a  word,  what  do  the  disclosures  following  the  opening 
of    the   seals    represent? 

2.  What  the  symbol  of  the  Revelator,  and  meaning  of  seven 
horns  and  seven  eyes? 

3.  On  what  meritorious  ground  is  all  the  worthiness  of  this 
Revelator  based? 

4.  Name,  and  discriminate  between,  the  two  groups  of  these 
seven  disclosures. 

5.  State  negatively  and  affirmatively  to  whom  the  Cherubim 
say  "  Come." 

6.  From  what  Old  Testament  book  is  the  imagery  of  the 
colored  horses  borrowed,  and  what  the  meaning  and  result  in 
this  lesson? 

Seals 

7.  Describe  the  first  horse  and  his  rider — what  the  meaning 
and  where  again  in  this  book  do  this  horse  and  rider  appear? 

8.  Cite  at  least  four  Old  Testament  prophecies  whose  fore- 
cast is  similar  to  the  meaning  here. 

9.  In  a  word,  what  phase  of  the  gospel  preached  is  ex- 
pressed in  the  imagery  of  the  red  horse  and  his  rider,  and 
what  saying  of  our  Lord  expressed  the  same  thing? 

ID.  Why  this  divisive  effect  of  the  gospel  preached,  and 
illustrate  by  two   notable  instances  in  the   Acts? 

11.  In  a  few  words  explain  the  imagery  of  the  black  horse 
and  his  rider,  holding  a  pair  of  scales,  and  illustrate  his- 
torically. 

12.  Meaning  of  the  imagery  of  Death  riding  the  pale  horse, 
following  by  Hades? 


130  REVELATION  [vi-vm 

13.  What    parable   of    our    Lord    exhibits    some   likeness    to 
these  four  horses? 

14.  Explain  the  disclosure  under  the  fifth  seal,  citing  Genesis 
case  and  Spurgeon's  use  of  it. 

15.  What  parable  of  our  Lord  expounds  the  fifth  seal,  and  the 
meaning  of  "that  faith"? 

16.  Cite  the  passage  from  Bulwer's  "  Richelieu."    From  Von 
Logau. 

17.  What  things  help   to  explain  the   delay  in   God's   venge- 
ance? 

18.  How  does  Milton  apply  the  cry  of  the  martyrs  in  vi,  10? 

19.  What  does  the  opening  of  the  sixth  seal  reveal? 

20.  Where  in  our  Lord's  great  prophecy  are  they  similarly 
presented? 

21.  What  the  great  thought  of  the  seventh  chapter? 

22.  Explain   the   silence   after   the   seventh  seal. 


IX 

THE  SOUNDING  OF  THE  TRUMPETS 
Revelation  VIII,  2 — X,  i 

WE  now  take  up  that  section  of  the  book  of  Reve- 
lation that  relates  to  the  sounding  of  the  seven 
trumpets,  which  commences  at  the  2d  verse 
of  the  eighth  chapter,  and  extends  to  the  end  of  the 
eleventh  chapter.  But  I  shall  not  be  able  to  expound 
the  entire  section  in  one  chapter;  I  will  try,  however,  to 
cover  so  much  of  it  as  extends  to  the  8th  verse  of  the 
tenth  chapter,  leaving  for  the  next  study  the  most  of 
the  tenth  chapter  and  the  whole  of  the  eleventh.  You 
will  observe  that,  as  in  the  seals,  here  there  are  two 
groups,  four  and  three.  There  was  quite  a  distinction 
between  the  first  group  of  seals  and  the  three  that  fol- 
lowed; and  so  there  will  be  quite  a  distinction  between 
the  group  of  four  trumpets  and  the  three  that  follow. 

The  general  meaning  of  the  sounding  of  the  trumpets 
is  the  gospel  as  prayed  from  John's  time  to  the 
second  coming  of  Christ.  The  seals,  you  will  remember, 
was  the  gospel  as  preached  from  John's  time  to  the 
second  advent.  Every  sounding  of  a  trumpet  comes  as 
a  response,  not  to  a  sermon,  but  to  a  prayer.  We  make 
a  great  mistake  when  we  limit  the  power  of  the  gospel 
to  its  preaching,  for  a  very  large  part  of  its  power  is 
dependent  upon  its  praying.  The  preaching  is  more 
conspicuous,  and  oftentimes  a  preacher  takes  credit  to 

131 


ISa  REVELATION  [vm-x 

himself  for  the  power  of  his  sermons,  when  perhaps  the 
power  came  from  some  obscure  member  of  the  church 
who  prayed  while  he  preached.  Realizing  this,  I  made 
it  a  habit  of  my  pastoral  life  to  engage  a  number  of  the 
most  spiritually  minded  members  of  my  church  to  enter 
into  a  covenant  to  pray  for  me  every  Sunday  while  I 
preached.  Even  the  apostle  Paul  felt  his  great  depend- 
ence upon  the  prayers  of  his  brethren  and  sisters,  and 
earnestly  solicited  their  prayers.  Just  so  I  would  count, 
in  a  great  effort  to  endow  a  seminary,  as  much  upon 
the  friends  of  the  seminary  who  prayed  for  its  endow- 
ment as  upon  the  agents  who  worked  for  its  endowment. 
It  is  an  old  saying  that  "  Satan  trembles  when  he  sees 
the  weakest  saint  upon  his  knees." 

The  key-passage  of  this  section  is  as  follows  (viii,  3-5)  : 
"  And  another  angel  came  and  stood  over  the  altar  " — 
that  means  not  the  brazen  altar  of  sacrifice,  but  the 
golden  altar  of  incense — "  having  a  golden  censer,  and 
there  was  given  unto  him  much  incense  that  he  should 
offer  it  with  the  prayers  of  all  the  saints  upon  the  golden 
altar  which  was  before  the  throne.  And  the  smoke  of 
the  incense  which  came  with  the  prayers  of  the  saints 
ascended  up  before  God  out  of  the  angel's  hand.  And 
the  angel  t:?.keth  the  censer  and  he  filled  it  with  the  fire 
of  the  altar  and  cast  it  upon  the  earth :  and  there  followed 
thunders  and  voices  and  lightnings  and  an  earthquake." 

A  Bible  student  should  understand  the  relative  posi- 
tions and  distinctive  purposes  of  the  brazen  altar  and  the 
golden  altar.  The  first  was  in  the  outer  court  and  for 
sacrifices.  The  other  was  in  the  holy  place,  and  was 
for  prayer  based  on  the  preceding  sacrifice.  Hence,  the 
prayer  "  for  Christ's  sake  " — that  is  because  He  died 
for  us.     Prayer  without  expiation  has  no  foundation. 

It  is  evident  from  this  key-passage  that  what  the  trum- 


vm-x]     SOUNDING  OF  THE  TRUMPETS       133 

pets  will  tell  us  about  comes  as  a  response  to  prayers 
offered  to  God,  and  when  that  censer  is  emptied  upon 
the  earth,  then  the  trumpets  begin  to  sound,  each  trumpet 
a  response  to  prayers. 

Let  the  reader  note  that  this  angel  standing  over  the 
golden  altar  with  the  golden  censer,  which  holds  the  in- 
cense, representing  prayers  on  earth  coming  up  before 
God  in  heaven,  is  the  great  high  priest  Jesus  Christ  Him- 
self, the  angel  of  the  covenant.  Throughout  the  whole 
Old  Testament  the  offering  of  incense  before  the  mercy- 
seat  symbolizes  prayers  offered  in  the  outer  court. 
David  says :  "  Let  the  lifting  up  of  my  hands  be  as  the 
incense."  And  when  the  high  priest  entered  into  the 
Holy  of  Holies  he  carried  that  golden  censer  filled  with 
frankincense,  and  kindled  it  with  a  coal  from  the  brazen 
altar,  and  as  it  kindled  the  smoke  went  up  in  a  fragrant 
cloud ;  it  represented  the  prayers  ascending  to  God.  You 
are  to  understand  that  the  prayers  are  uttered  on  earth, 
but  this  is  a  picture  of  their  presentation  in  heaven — 
the  reception  accorded  these  petitions  and  the  responses 
given,  and  you  must  distinguish  between  the  martyr-cry 
of  the  last  lesson  and  these  prayers  here.  That  martyr- 
cry  was  for  a  single  thing — it  came  from  martyrs  only. 
These  are  the  prayers  of  all  God's  people  continually 
going  up. 

Now,  seven  angels  stood,  each  with  a  trumpet,  pre- 
pared to  sound  just  as  the  high  priest,  having  offered 
these  prayers,  poured  out  on  the  earth  coals  of  fire  from 
the  altar.  The  first  angel  sounded  (7th  verse):  "And 
there  followed  hail  and  fire,  mingled  with  blood,  and  they 
were  cast  upon  the  earth,  and  a  third  part  of  the  earth 
was  burned  up,  and  a  third  part  of  the  trees  was  burned 
up,  and  all  the  green  grass  was  burned  up." 

In  telling  you  what  I  conceive  to  be  the  meaning  of 


134  REVELATION  [vm-x 

these  seven  trumpets  I  speak  with  great  diffidence — I 
will  not  be  as  dogmatic  about  it  as  I  am  about  some  of 
my  interpretations.  The  wisest  men  and  the  greatest 
scholars  on  the  earth  may  well  differ  in  interpreting  some 
of  the  imagery  of  this  wonderful  book.  I  am  satisfied 
in  my  own  mind,  however,  that  I  am  giving  you  the  true 
meaning. 

In  order,  then,  to  get  at  the  meaning  of  this  first  trum- 
pet you  are  to  ask :  What,  or  who,  was  the  great  enemy 
in  John's  time  oppressing  the  church?  It  was  Pagan 
Rome — that  fourth  great  world-empire  that  Daniel  saw, 
and  that  was  so  terrible.  At  this  particular  time,  Rome 
had  commenced  a  world-wide  persecution  of  the  Chris- 
tians; John  himself  was  in  exile  on  account  of  it,  and 
not  a  church  in  the  empire  was  safe  from  its  cruel  hands. 
Now,  of  course,  the  Christians  prayed  about  that;  they 
could  not  help  it.  And  the  first  trumpet  sounded.  I 
understand  that  first  trumpet  to  mean  the  judgment  upon 
the  Roman  Empire — the  Pagan  Roman  Empire — that 
caused  its  decline.  And  this  judgment  means  the  in- 
vasion of  nations  from  the  North :  Scandinavia,  Ger- 
many and  beyond  the  Danube  even  from  the  shores  of 
the  Baltic — out  of  their  forests  came  the  untamed  Ger- 
mans and  Goths,  and  across  the  Danube  came  the  Van- 
dals and  Huns.  Gibbon,  in  his  "  Decline  and  Fall  of  the 
Roman  Empire,"  shows  how  the  invasion  of  these  hordes 
from  the  German  forests  and  across  the  Danube  broke 
over  all  the  boundaries  of  the  Roman  power,  and  carried 
their  wasting  influence  with  fire  and  sword  into  Italy 
itself.     That  is  the  meaning  of  the  first  trumpet. 

8th  verse :  "  And  the  second  angel  sounded,  and 
as  it  were,  a  great  mountain  burning  with  fire  was  cast 
into  the  sea,  and  the  third  part  of  the  sea  became  blood, 
and  there  died  a  third  part  of  the  creatures  that  were  in 


vm-x]     SOUNDING  OF  THE  TRUMPETS       135 

the  sea,  even  them  that  had  life,  and  a  third  part  of  the 
ships  were  destroyed."  Now,  a  mountain  in  Revelation 
means  a  city,  and  near  to  the  city  of  Rome  was  that 
great  volcano,  Vesuvius,  whose  eruptions,  when  they 
poured  into  the  sea,  have  attracted  the  attention  of  the 
world.  Pompeii  and  Herculaneum,  two  cities,  were 
buried  under  one  of  these  eruptions  (a.d.  79).  So  this 
second  trumpet  signifies  the  downfall  of  the  state  of 
Rome  itself.  The  first  trumpet  prepared  for  it ;  the  sec- 
ond trumpet  strikes  at  the  Roman  Empire  in  its  heart 
and  centre.  Dr.  Lyman  Beecher  says  it  took  Rome  300 
years  to  die,  and  Gibbon,  as  he  writes  about  the  decline, 
writes  also  about  the  fall — the  "  Decline  and  Fall  of  the 
Roman  Empire."  I  shall  not  attempt  here  to  give  the 
number  or  order  of  the  irruptions  of  Northern  barbarians 
that  first  shattered  and  then  completely  wrecked  imperial 
Rome.  That  empire,  according  to  the  prophecy  of 
Daniel,  divided  into  ten  kingdoms.  But,  anyhow,  this 
great  civilization  that  built  roads  that  are  good  to-day, 
and  walls  that  stand  to-day,  and  whose  iron  organization 
held  the  whole  civilized  world  in  its  sway,  went  down  at 
last  because  poor  women  and  children  and  fathers,  Chris- 
tians, prayed. 

The  third  angel  sounded,  "  and  there  fell  from  heaven 
a  great  star,  burning  as  a  torch,  and  it  fell  upon  a  third 
part  of  the  rivers  and  of  the  fountains  of  waters,  and 
the  name  of  the  star  is  called  Wormwood;  a  third  part 
of  the  waters  became  wormwood  and  many  men  died  of 
the  waters  because  they  were  made  bitter."  That  word 
"  torch  "  really  means  a  lamp — "  There  fell  from  heaven 
a  great  star,  burning  as  a  lamp."  A  lamp  in  this  book 
stands  for  a  church,  and  hence  the  meaning  of  this  pas- 
sage is  that  one  of  the  luminaries  that  God  intended  for 
enlightening  the  world  became  apostate — this  is  the  sym- 


136  REVELATION  [vm-x 

bol  of  the  paganized  church,  which  succeeded  Rome,  and 
hence  after  that  it  was  called  the  "  Holy  Roman  Empire." 
In  a  later  revelation  we  will  find  similar  reference  (xiii, 
3)  where,  when  the  Pagan  head  of  the  empire  was 
wounded  unto  death,  it  was  healed  by  an  ecclesiastical 
head. 

You  will  notice  its  efifect  upon  the  fountains  and  the 
rivers,  that  this  apostasy  poisoned  the  sources  of  life — 
the  very  sources  of  thought  and  reason  and  life  among 
the  people.  The  imagery  of  casting  wormwood  into 
water  which  all  must  drink  is  very  striking.  It  reverses 
the  miracle  of  Moses,  who  cast  a  tree  into  the  bitter  waters 
and  made  them  sweet  (Exodus  xv,  23-25).  There  was 
great  glorification  when  Constantine,  the  Roman  Em- 
peror, united  the  church  and  state,  and  gradually  the 
state  became  subordinate  to  the  church.  And  when  the 
state  perished,  the  church  survived,  claiming  that  it  held 
both  ecclesiastical  and  civil  swords.  The  Pope  to-day 
demands  that  nations  send  their  ambassadors  to  him,  be- 
cause of  his  claim  to  be  a  civil  as  well  as  ecclesiastical 
ruler.  For  quite  a  while  there  were  many  Papal  states — 
that  is,  states  under  the  Pope,  who  was  as  much  their 
ruler  as  the  English  King  is  the  ruler  over  England; 
Lombardy,  Venice,  Tuscany,  and  quite  a  number  of 
others,  and  that  civil  power  was  exercised  more  or  less 
until  Garibaldi  arose,  and  until  Victor  Emmanuel  estab- 
lished a  free  church  in  a  free  state — that  is,  he  separated 
the  civil  from  the  ecclesiastical  power. 

The  fourth  angel  sounded,  "  and  a  third  part  of  the 
sun  was  smitten,  and  a  third  part  of  the  moon,  and  a 
third  part  of  the  stars,  and  that  a  third  part  of  them 
should  be  darkened,  and  the  day  should  not  shine  for  a 
third  part  of  it,  and  the  night  in  like  manner."  What 
does  that  mean?    That  following  the  establishment  of 


vm-x]     SOUNDING  OF  THE  TRUMPETS       137 

the  apostasy  of  the  Romish  church,  the  sources  of  light 
were  eclipsed  and  the  dark  ages  followed.  Our  book 
commences  with  luminaries — sun,  stars,  lamps,  appointed 
to  lighten  the  world.  But  apostate  churches  and  preach- 
ers lose  their  shining  power.  Here  he  is  not  referring  to 
the  material  sun,  moon  and  stars — they  are  symbols. 
The  dark  ages,  so  thoroughly  known  in  history,  followed 
the  establishment  of  the  Papacy  as  a  Holy  Roman  Em- 
pire. There  were  hundreds  and  thousands  of  nominal 
churches  and  nominal  preachers,  but  the  preachers  did 
not  preach  the  gospel,  and  these  so-called  churches  did 
not  shine ;  the  light  that  was  in  them  was  darkness.  The 
Virgin  Mary  supplanted  Christ,  and  so  the  sun  of  chap- 
ter i  was  darkened.  Ordinances  were  fearfully  per- 
verted and  sacraments  added.  The  saddest  volumes  of 
the  annals  of  time  that  I  read  to-day  are  the  volumes 
that  tell  about  the  dark  ages  following  this  assumption 
of  power  by  the  Papacy. 

I  read  the  13th  verse:  "And  I  saw  and  heard  an 
eagle  " — or  as  some  versions,  and  better  ones,  have  it,  an 
"  angel  " — "  flying  in  mid-heaven,  saying  with  a  great 
voice :  Woe,  Woe,  Woe  " — that  is,  three  woes — "  for 
them  that  dwell  on  the  earth  by  reason  of  the  voice  of 
the  trumpet  of  the  three  angels  that  are  yet  to  sound," 
This  is  a  prelude  to  the  second  group — a  group  of  three, 
— distinguished  by  a  "  woe  "  for  each  trumpet.  It  means 
that  when  a  perverted  ecclesiasticism,  such  as  the  Papacy 
was,  dominates  the  world,  woes  of  incalculable  horror  are 
sure  to  follow.  So  we  note  the  next  (ix,  i)  :  "  And  the 
fifth  angel  sounded,  and  I  saw  a  star  from  heaven  fallen 
unto  the  earth  " — now,  don't  read  that :  "  I  saw  a  star 
falling  unto  the  earth,"  that  is  not  what  it  says;  that 
star  used  to  belong  to  heaven,  but  it  was  already  fallen 
when  seen  here.     Satan  was  once  called  Lucifer — that 


138  REVELATION  [vra-x 

means  brightness  of  the  morning,  and  he  is  so  styled 
in  the  Old  Testament  before  his  fall.  He  is  the  fallen 
star  here,  and  as  the  church  lights  are  eclipsed  through 
apostasy,  so  this  apostate  angel.  He  will  get  in  a  subtle, 
malicious  piece  of  work  here,  as  we  will  see,  "  And  there 
was  given  to  him  the  key  of  the  pit  of  the  abyss  " — you 
might  say  the  key  to  hell  itself — "  and  he  opened  the  pit 
of  the  abyss,  and  there  went  up  smoke  out  of  the  pit 
as  the  smoke  of  a  great  furnace,  and  the  sun  was  dark- 
ened by  reason  of  the  smoke  of  the  pit.  And  out  of 
the  smoke  of  the  pit  came  forth  locusts  upon  the  earth, 
and  power  was  given  them  as  scorpions  of  the  earth  have 
power,  and  it  was  said  unto  them  that  they  should  not 
hurt  the  grass  of  the  earth,  neither  any  green  thing,  nei- 
ther any  tree,  but  only  " — notice  whom  they  are  to  hurt — 
"  but  only  such  men  as  have  not  the  seal  of  God  on  their 
foreheads;  and  it  was  given  them  that  they  should  not 
kill  them,  but  that  they  should  be  tormented  five  months." 
Any  one  who  has  studied  the  history  of  the  locusts  knows 
that  the  locust  period  is  five  months.  But  if  we  follow 
the  numbers  of  Revelation  we  will  find  that  every  day 
represents  a  year.  The  five  months,  therefore,  would 
represent  about  150  years,  though  ^the  five  months  are 
put  in  here  because  they  correspond  to  the  locust  period. 
"  And  their  torment  was  as  the  torment  of  scorpions 
when  it  striketh  a  man.  And  in  these  days  men  would 
seek  death  but  should  in  no  wise  find  it,  and  they  shall 
desire  to  die  and  death  fieeth  from  them.  And  the 
shapes  of  the  locusts  were  like  unto  a  horse  prepared  for 
war,  and  upon  their  heads  crowns  like  unto  gold;  their 
faces  were  as  man's  face ;  they  had  hair  as  the  hair  of 
a  woman ;  their  teeth  were  as  the  teeth  of  lions ;  and  they 
had  breastplates,  as  it  were,  of  iron,  and  the  sound  of 
their  wings  was  as  of  the  sound  of  chariots  of  many  horses 


vm-x]     SOUNDING  OF  THE  TRUMPETS       139 

rushing  to  war,  and  they  had  tails  like  unto  the  scorpion 
and  stung,  and  in  their  tails  was  their  power  to  hurt  men 
five  months.  They  had  over  them  as  a  king  the  angel 
of  the  abyss;  his  name  in  Hebrew  is  Abaddon,  and  in 
the  Greek  Apollyon,  which  means  destroyer " — which 
also  means  the  devil. 

The  special  points  to  note  here  are: 

1.  This  hell-smoke  darkened  the  sun  and  the  air. 
That  is,  by  darkening  the  atmosphere,  the  medium 
through  which  sunlight  shines  on  the  earth,  the  sun 
could  not  be  seen.  See  account  in  Genesis  i,  where  the 
heavenly  luminaries,  though  existing,  do  not  appear  until 
the  atmosphere  is  created.  As  in  this  book,  the  spiritual 
lights  are  Christ,  the  churches  and  the  pastors.  Any 
smoke  the  devil  may  send  will  prevent  the  earth  from 
being  illumined  by  them. 

2.  That  the  haze  of  this  smoke  generates  tormentors, 
compared  to  locusts. 

3.  That  those  tormented  are  not  the  children  of  light, 
but  the  children  of  darkness.  They  hurt  not  Christians, 
but  torment  infidels  and  atheists. 

4.  The  connection  between  a  corrupt  ecclesiasticism 
and  atheism.  The  latter  follows  the  former  as  a  natural 
result. 

5.  The  meaning  of  the  locusts.  When  we  were  in 
the  Old  Testament,  in  the  prophecy  of  Joel,  under  the 
imagery  of  locusts  a  great  evil  was  symbolically  pre- 
sented. And  in  this  symbolic  language  you  should  not 
look  for  real  locusts,  but  what  they  symbolize.  The  devil 
is  their  king;  they  come  out  of  hell  itself.  It  is  not  their 
purpose  to  kill  men,  but  to  torment  them.  They  are  not 
allowed  to  torment  a  Christian,  for  he  has  light;  but  only 
those  who  by  the  smoke  are  hindered  from  seeing  the 
light;  those  that  have  not  the  seal  of  God  on  their  fore- 


140  REVELATION  [vra-x 

heads.     Whatever    these   tormentors    are,    they   trouble 
only  infidels  and  atheists. 

Some  interpreters  have  very  foolishly  construed  these 
locusts  to  represent  the  Saracens  or  Mohammedans,  but 
when  the  Saracens  struck  they  killed  and  the  chief  objects 
of  their  vengeance  were  the  Christian  nations.  They  did 
not  seek  so  much  to  torment  as  to  kill,  and  so  that  inter- 
pretation fails  to  fit  the  case.  What,  then,  is  the  thought 
symbolically  presented  in  this  cloud  of  locusts  that  tor- 
ment men  who  were  not  Christians?  My  answer  is,  a 
corrupt  ecclesiasticism,  especially  when  united  with  the 
state,  breeds  atheism  and  atheism  breeds  restlessness  and 
torment.  It  looses  the  tiger.  The  Jews  have  a  proverb : 
When  the  tale  of  brick  is  doubled  then  comes  Moses.  It 
is  also  a  proverb :  Given  the  ecclesiastical  corruption  in 
France — tlien  comes  Voltaire.  Given  Voltaire  and  then 
the  tiger  is  loosed.  The  testimony  is  abundant  that  the 
Romanist  hierarchy  became  corrupt  from  Pope  to  priest. 
Monasteries  and  nunneries  were  as  cages  of  unclean 
birds.  In  the  interest  of  morality  nations  suppressed 
them.  See  the  history  of  them  in  England.  The  priests 
had  no  gospel.  The  churches  and  cathedrals  were  full 
of  idolatry.  When  men  go  to  church  to  find  Christ  and 
see  only  the  Virgin  Mary ;  when  preachers  are  substituted 
by  priests;  the  gospel  exchanged  for  ritualism;  there 
comes  in  a  revulsion  of  public  sentiment  from  the  Chris- 
tian religion,  embodied  in  the  only  form  they  see  it. 
Infidelity  in  France,  voiced  by  Voltaire;  rationalism  in 
Germany,  or  in  England  led  by  Bolingbroke,  Hume,  and 
Taylor,  in  America  by  Paine  and  Ingersoll — all  of  it  is  a 
rebound  from  corrupt  ecclesiasticism.  All  sacred  things 
become  profane;  they  are  without  God  and  hope  in  the 
world.  Now  we  are  coming  to  the  locusts.  Take  God 
away  from  man — power  away  from  prayer,  no  church 


vm-x]     SOUNDING  OF  THE  TRUMPETS       141 

to  visit,  no  sermons  to  hear,  turned  away  from  all  super- 
naturalism,  the  ship  of  life  hails  from  no  port  and  is 
bound  to  none,  drifts  on  uncharted  seas  without  helm  or 
compass,  at  the  mercy  of  winds  and  tides  and  sunken 
reefs ;  when  all  standards  of  authority  are  lost,  when  no 
solution  of  life's  problems  can  be  found  in  the  conflicting 
vagaries  of  philosophy — the  mind  preys  on  itself.  Rest- 
lessness and  discontent  pervade  the  masses.  Then  swarm 
those  tormenting  locusts  of  atheism.  There  were  cer- 
tainly in  the  dark  ages,  and  even  later,  periods  of  awful 
horror.  Maniacs  filled  the  forests.  All  law  was  gone. 
Freebooters,  banditti,  free  companies,  roved  at  their  own 
will  and  nowhere  were  peace  and  safety.  It  was  a  time 
of  torment.  The  devil  delighted  to  torment  the  very 
people  he  had  beguiled.  He  agreed  with  them  that  their 
church  was  bad,  and  suggested  that  they  follow  him. 
Such  was  the  first  woe. 

The  author  adds :  "  Behold,  there  come  yet  two  woes 
hereafter,"  but  it  gives  only  one  of  them,  as  the  woe  of 
the  seventh  trumpet  is  reserved  for  the  latter  part  of 
the  book.  The  13th  verse:  "And  the  sixth  angel 
sounded,  and  I  heard  a  voice  from  the  horns  of  the 
golden  altar  which  is  before  God,  and  one  saying  to  the 
sixth  angel  that  had  the  trumpet :  Loose  the  four  angels 
that  are  bound  at  the  great  river  Euphrates.  And  the 
four  angels  were  loosed,  that  had  been  prepared  for  the 
hour,  the  day,  the  month  and  the  year,  that  they  should 
kill  the  third  part  of  men.  And  the  number  of  the 
armies  of  the  horsemen  was  twice  ten  thousand  times 
ten  thousand:  I  heard  the  number  of  them  [that  means 
two  hundred  million] .  And  thus  I  saw  the  horses  in  the 
vision,  and  they  that  sat  on  them,  having  breastplates  of 
fire  and  hyacinth  and  of  brimstone :  and  the  heads  of  the 
horses  are  as  the  heads  of  lions,  and  out  of  their  mouths 


142  REVELATION  [vra-x 

proceeded  fire  and  smoke  and  brimstone.  By  these  three 
plagues  was  the  third  part  of  man  killed,  by  the  fire,  and 
the  smoke  and  the  brimstone,  which  proceeded  out  of 
their  mouths.  For  the  power  of  the  horses  was  in  their 
mouths,  and  in  their  tails,  for  their  tails  are  like  unto 
serpents  and  have  heads,  and  with  them  they  hurt.  And 
the  rest  of  mankind,  who  were  not  killed  by  these  plagues, 
repented  not  of  the  works  of  their  hands,  that  they 
should  not  worship  demons  and  idols  of  gold  and  of  silver 
and  of  brass  and  of  stone  and  of  wood,  which  can  neither 
see  nor  hear  nor  walk ;  and  they  repented  not  of  their 
murders  and  their  sorceries,  nor  of  their  fornication,  nor 
of  their  thefts." 

Now,  I  have  twice  in  my  life  changed  my  own  mind  as 
to  what  is  symbolized  by  that  great  army  of  horsemen, 
coming  from  the  Euphrates,  from  over  the  east.  I  once 
thought  that  it  symbolized  the  European  wars  commenc- 
ing with  Napoleon  Bonaparte  and  lasting  to  the  present 
time.  But  I  do  not  now  think  that  is  right.  There  was 
a  power  in  history  that  did  come  from  the  East,  and  it 
was  an  army  of  cavalry  of  uncounted  numbers,  and  they 
did  sweep  over  the  fairest  part  of  the  earth,  and  particu- 
larly did  they  strike  hard  against  apostate  churches,  both 
the  Roman  and  the  Greek  Catholics.  They  were  the 
Saracens.  Mohammed,  who  was  the  founder  of  their  re- 
ligion, arose  in  the  sixth  century.  As  it  grew  in  power 
it  swept  over  all  Asia  from  the  Euphrates  to  Constanti- 
nople, captured  the  Holy  Land,  all  Asia  Minor,  including 
the  territory  of  these  seven  churches,  crossed  the  Bos- 
phorus  and  the  Balkan  mountains  to  thunder  at  the  gate 
of  Vienna.  They  captured  Greece  and  the  eastern 
Mediterranean  islands,  captured  North  Africa,  crossed 
the  straits  of  Gibraltar,  and  founded  a  kingdom  in  Spain, 
entered  France  and  would  have  swept  all  Europe  but  for 


vm-x]     SOUNDING  OF  THE  TRUMPETS       143 

the  disastrous  defeat  at  Tours  by  Charles  Martel. 
Against  their  strongholds  in  the  Holy  Land  the  Crusades 
of  confederated  Europe  were  broken.  It  is  yet  a  great 
power,  kindling  to-day  its  fires  of  war  in  the  Balkans. 
God  used  the  Mohammedans  to  strike  the  apostate  Greek 
Catholic  and  Roman  Catholic  churches.  These,  as  I 
think,  were  the  locusts  of  the  fifth  trumpet,  the  second 
great  woe. 

EXAMINATION  QUESTIONS 

1.  What  the  general  meaning  of  the  trumpets?  And  what 
the   key-passage  disclosing   this    meaning? 

2.  Where  in  tabernacle  and  temple  was  the  golden  altar  and 
what  its  relation  to  the  brazen  altar  of  sacrifice,  and  what  did 
incense   symbolize  ? 

3.  Who  the  angel  with  the  censer? 

4.  What  great  enemy  at  this  time,  by  cruel  and  world-wide 
persecution,   was    driving   Christians   to   prayer? 

5.  What,  then,  probably,  the  meaning  of  the  first  trumpet? 

6.  In  this  book  what  does  a  mountain  symbolize? 

7.  What  natural  prodigy  in  Italy  probably  suggested  the 
imagery  of  a  volcano  overturned  in  the  sea? 

8.  What  is,  probably,   the  meaning  of  the  second  trumpet? 

9.  What  the  meaning  of  a  torch  in  viii,   10? 

10.  When,  then,  a  fallen  luminary  like  a  burning  lamp,  poisons 
the  fountains  and  rivers,  sources  of  life,  making  the  waters 
bitter,  and  causing  the  death  of  many — what  probably  is  meant 
by  the  third  trumpet? 

11.  What  miracle  of  Moses  reversed  the  thought  here? 

12.  What  probably  the  meaning  of  the   fourth  trumpet? 

13.  What  the  meaning  of  the  prelude  to  the  second  group 
of  trumpets   (viii,   13)? 

14.  Who  the  fallen  star  of  ix,  i?  Cite  his  Old  Testament 
name  and  two  names  here. 

15.  What  effect  on  the  luminaries  by  this  hell-smoke?  And 
how  brought  about? 

16.  What  then,  probably,  the  locusts? 

17.  What  probably  the  meaning  of  the  sixth  trumpet,  and 
the  second  woe? 


X 


THE  SOUNDING  OF  THE  TRUMPETS 
(continued) 

Revelation  X  and  XI 

WE  have  seen  under  the  first  trumpet  the  decline 
of  the  Pagan  Roman  Empire,  brought  about  by 
the  barbaric  nations  from  the  German  forests 
and  the  lower  Danube.  We  have  seen  under  the  second 
trumpet  the  complete  overthrow  of  Pagan  Rome  as  a 
volcano  is  erupted,  turned  over  into  the  sea.  We  have 
seen  under  the  third  trumpet  the  apostasy  of  the  Roman 
church,  resulting  in  Papal  Rome  poisoning  all  the 
sources  of  life.  We  have  seen  under  the  fourth  trum- 
pet the  dark  ages  resulting  from  this  apostasy,  dimming 
the  light  of  the  luminaries  appointed  to  lighten  the 
world.  This  was  the  first  group  of  trumpets,  four  in 
number. 

In  the  succeeding  group  of  three  an  emphasis  is  added 
— each  trumpet  is  followed  by  a  woe,  the  second  woe 
worse  than  the  first,  and  the  third  to  be  more  direful 
than  the  second.  The  fifth  trumpet,  we  have  found,  in- 
troduces the  first  woe,  which  is  directly  attributed  to 
Satan.  Resulting  from  the  apostasy  and  its  corruption 
comes  a  revolt  against  all  sacred  things,  taking  the  direc- 
tion of  infidelity,  rationalism  and  atheism.  Satan's  hell- 
smoke  increases  the  darkness  by  thickening  the  atmos- 
phere through  which  light  would  shine,  breeding  restless- 

144 


x-xi]        SOUNDING  OF  THE  TRUMPETS       145 

ness  of  spirit  and  torment  of  soul  in  all  who  are  thus 
without  God  and  without  hope  in  the  world.  The  tor- 
ments are  compared  to  locusts  with  scorpion  stings. 

Under  the  sixth  trumpet,  sounding  the  second  woe, 
we  have  seen  the  rise  and  conquest  of  Mohammedan 
power,  sweeping  with  fire  and  sword  from  the  Euphrates 
to  Vienna  in  one  direction,  and  in  another  direction  from 
northern  Africa  into  Spain  and  France.  For  its  idola- 
tries and  corruptions  we  have  seen  the  Greek  Catholic 
apostasy  lose  all  its  territory  to  the  Saracen,  including 
the  Holy  Land,  Syria,  Asia  Minor  and  Constantinople; 
and  the  Roman  Catholic  apostasy  smitten  in  the  Medi- 
terranean and  in  southwestern  Europe,  and  all  its  cru- 
sades hurled  back  as  waves  repulsed  by  a  mountain  coast. 
The  seven  thunders  are  merely  announced,  what  they 
mean  is  sealed  up  for  the  present  (x,  4),  but  to  be  given 
in  a  later  revelation  from  a  different  angle  of  vision, 
to  wit :  the  seven  plagues  inflicted  on  the  apostate  church 
under  the  symbol  of  the  harlot  woman  in  purple  and 
scarlet  (chapters  xv  and  xvi).  It  is  also  announced  that 
when  the  seventh  trumpet  does  sound  then  will  be  fin- 
ished the  mystery  of  the  Kingdom  of  God  (x,  7),  but 
before  this  conclusion  is  reached  the  Revelator  will  an- 
swer certain  questions,  to  wit:  In  all  this  record  of  apos- 
tasies, and  the  consequent  dark  ages  and  persecutions  and 
judgments  on  the  apostasies,  what  becomes  of  the  true 
church  and  the  pure  gospel?  Does  the  Spirit  dispensa- 
tion fail?  Are  all  the  candlesticks  removed?  Do  all 
preachers  abandon  the  gospel  and  become  priests  of 
heresy  ? 

The  tenth  and  eleventh  chapters  answer  these  ques- 
tions, and  bring  us  to  the  glorious  triumph  of  the  seventh 
trumpet,  omitting  only  for  the  time  being  the  last  woe, 
to  be  given  in  chapter  xviii,  from  another  synchronous 


146  REVELATION  [x-xr 

view.  We  take  up,  therefore,  the  interpretation  of  these 
glorious  chapters. 

"  And  I  saw  another  angel  coming  down  out  of  heaven, 
arrayed  with  a  cloud  ;  and  the  rainbow  was  upon  his  head, 
and  his  face  was  as  the  sun,  and  his  feet  were  as  pillars 
of  fire."  This  evidently,  from  the  description,  is  the 
angel  of  the  Covenant,  our  glorified  Lord  Himself. 
"  And  he  had  in  his  hand  a  little  open  book."  This  little 
book  is  not  the  sealed  book  of  v,  i.  That  was  the  book 
of  future  events  concerning  the  Kingdom.  This  little 
book,  named  again  in  verses  8  to  lo,  signifies  the  restored 
gospel,  which  had  been  shut  up  by  the  apostasy. 

"  And  he  set  his  right  foot  upon  the  sea  and  his  left 
upon  the  earth ;  and  he  cried  with  a  great  voice,  as  a  lion 
roareth,  and  when  he  cried  the  seven  thunders  uttered 
their  voices,  and  when  the  seven  thunders  uttered 
their  voices  I  was  about  to  write:  and  I  heard  a  voice 
from  heaven  saying,  Seal  up  the  things  which  the  seven 
thunders  uttered,  and  write  them  not.  And  the  angel 
that  I  saw  standing  upon  the  sea  and  upon  the  earth  lifted 
up  his  right  hand  to  heaven,  and  sware  by  him  that  liveth 
for  ever  and  ever,  who  created  the  heavens  and  the  things 
that  are  therein,  and  the  earth  and  the  things  that  are 
therein,  and  the  sea  and  the  things  that  are  therein,  that 
there  shall  be  delay  no  longer." 

We  note  first  the  posture  of  the  angel — one  foot  on  the 
land  and  one  on  the  sea,  to  signify  that  all  the  earth,  land 
and  sea,  is  under  his  authority.  We  note  second  the 
mere  announcement  now  of  the  seven  thunders,  not  re- 
corded now,  but  to  be  given  as  the  seven  vials  of  wrath 
in  a  subsequent  vision  (chapters  xv  and  xvi).  We  note 
third  the  oath  of  the  angel  (verse  6)  "  that  there  shall  be 
delay  no  longer  " — the  King  James  Version  obscures  the 
meaning  of  this  glorious  promise. 


x-xi]        SOUNDING  OF  THE  TRUMPETS       147 

The  promise  directly  responds  to  the  martyr-cry  of 
the  fifth  seal :  "  How  long,  O  Master,  the  Holy  and  True, 
dost  thou  not  judge  and  avenge  our  blood  on  them  that 
dwell  on  the  earth?"  (vi,  lo).  The  answer  given  them 
was :  **  Rest  yet  for  a  little  time,  until  thy  fellow-servants 
also,  and  thy  brethren,  who  shall  be  killed  even  as  ye 
were,  shall  have  fulfilled  their  course " — but  now  the 
answer  is :  "  There  shall  be  delay  no  longer." 

The  7th  verse  further  assures,  what  will  be  stated  more 
particularly  at  the  end  of  the  eleventh  chapter,  that  the 
mystery  of  the  Kingdom  of  God  will  be  finished  when 
the  seventh  trumpet  sounds.    We  find  all  that  in  xi,  15-19. 

We  must  connect  with  the  reply  to  the  martyr-cry  in 
vi,  10,  and  the  different  reply  here:  "There  shall  be 
delay  no  longer,"  the  great  lesson  in  H  Peter  iii,  3-13. 
The  "  little  time  "  of  waiting  for  vengeance  is  little  in 
God's  sight,  not  ours :  *'  But  forget  not  this  one  thing,  be- 
loved, that  one  day  is  with  the  Lord  as  a  thousand  years 
and  a  thousand  years  as  one  day.  The  Lord  is  not  slack 
concerning  his  promise,  as  some  count  slackness,  but 
is  long-suffering  to  you-ward,  not  wishing  that  any 
should  perish,  but  that  all  should  come  to  repentance." 

Thus  in  verses  3  to  7,  having  anticipated  for  assurance' 
sake  later  things,  the  Revelator  resumes  the  story  of  the 
little  open  book  in  verses  8  to  11.  Let  us  read  them: 
"  And  the  voice  which  I  heard  from  heaven,  I  heard  it 
again  speaking  with  me  and  saying:  Go,  take  the  book 
which  is  open  in  the  hand  of  the  angel  that  standeth 
upon  the  sea  and  upon  the  earth.  And  I  went  unto  the 
angel,  saying  unto  him  that  he  should  give  me  the  little 
book.  And  he  saith  unto  me:  Take  it,  and  eat  it  up, 
and  it  shall  make  thy  belly  bitter,  but  in  thy  mouth  it 
shall  be  sweet  as  honey.  And  I  took  the  little  book  out 
of  the  angel's  hand  and  ate  it  up;  and  it  was  in  my 


148  REVELATION  [x-xi 

mouth  sweet  as  honey,  and  when  I  had  eaten  it  my  belly 
was  made  bitter.  And  they  say  unto  me:  Thou  must 
prophesy  again  over  many  peoples  and  tongues  and  na- 
tions and  kings." 

We  repeat  that  this  book  differs  in  important  particu- 
lars from  the  book  of  v,  i.  That  was  sealed — this  is 
open;  that  was  written  on  both  sides — not  this  one. 
This  one  is  expressly  called  the  little  book,  Greek 
"  bibliridion."  That  book  remained  in  the  Revelator's 
hands — this  one  is  given  to  John  and  eaten  by  him.  Be- 
ing eaten  it  was  sweet;  after  eaten  it  was  bitter.  After 
eating  it  he  should  prophesy  again  over  many  peoples  and 
nations  and  tongues  and  kings. 

Just  here  I  commend  again  the  very  able  and  judicious 
comments  of  Dr.  Justin  A.  Smith  on  this  passage,  but  I 
give  you  briefly  my  own  interpretation: 

1.  The  result  of  the  great  apostasy  was  to  pervert  and 
shut  up  the  true  gospel,  until  the  Reformation  of  the 
sixteenth  century.  It  was  a  typical  event  when  Luther 
found  a  chained  Bible.  An  ecclesiasticism  combining  de- 
funct Old  Testament  elements  with  many  Pagan  supersti- 
tions offered  as  a  gospel  that  which  was  another  gospel, 
and  contrary  to  the  true  gospel. 

2.  The  little  open  book,  therefore,  represents  the  re- 
stored gospel  of  the  Reformation.  When  Victor  Emman- 
uel entered  Rome,  breaking  down  the  civil  power  of  the 
Pope,  he  carried  at  the  head  of  his  army  an  open  Bible, 
that  Rome  had  not  known  for  centuries. 

3.  When  that  restored  gospel  is  eaten,  appropriated 
and  assimilated  by  faith,  a  new  era  of  missions  to  many 
new  nations  would  dawn.  An  open  Bible  in  the  hands  of 
the  people  scatters  the  superstitious  rubbish  of  the  false 
ecclesiasticism  and  propagation  of  the  recovered  gospel 
extends  to  earth's  remotest  bounds.    The  idea  of  x,  11, 


x-xi]        SOUNDING  OF  THE  TRUMPETS       149 

is  thus  repeated  in  a  subsequent  vision  (xiv,  6)  :  "  And 
I  saw  another  angel  flying  in  mid-heaven,  having  eternal 
good  tidings  to  proclaim  to  them  that  dwell  on  the  earth ; 
and  unto  every  nation  and  tribe  and  tongue  and  people." 
It  is  a  noticeable  fact  that  missionary  operations  com- 
menced with  the  rescue  of  the  Bible;  it  was  translated 
into  the  tongues  of  the  people,  and  preachers  began  to 
carry  it  to  the  ends  of  the  earth,  and  ever  since  that  day 
missions  to  all  nations  have  taken  colossal  strides. 

Having  thus  in  the  tenth  chapter  seen  the  restored  gos- 
pel, we  consider  in  the  eleventh  chapter  the  questions: 
What  about  the  true  church  in  the  dark  ages  of  the  apos- 
tasy? Measured  by  man,  the  church  in  the  West,  that 
is,  in  Europe,  is  the  Roman  Catholic  apostasy;  and  the 
church  in  the  East  is  the  Greek  Catholic  apostasy,  and 
man  will  tell  you  that  within  that  time  there  were  no  other 
churches.  Your  average  church  historian  will  tell  you 
that.  But  we  will  let  God  answer  that  question  (chapter 
xi,  I )  :  "  And  there  was  given  me  a  reed  like  unto  a  rod : 
and  one  said.  Rise  and  measure  the  temple  of  God,  and 
the  altar  and  them  that  worship  therein.  And  the  court 
which  is  without  the  temple  leave  without  and  measure 
it  not;  for  it  hath  been  given  unto  the  nations,  and  the 
holy  city  shall  they  tread  under  foot  forty  and  two 
months."  Under  this  unique  measurement  only  the 
true  temple  with  its  altar  of  sacrifice  and  its  few  wor- 
shippers are  counted.  The  outer  court  and  all  the  holy 
city  are  left  out.  These  are  trodden  under  foot  by  the 
nations  forty-two  months,  which  equals  one  thousand 
two  hundred  and  sixty  days  of  the  next  verse.  And  in 
this  book  a  prophetic  day  represents  a  year ;  as  in  its  Old 
Testament  analogue,  Ezekiel.  The  forty-two  months 
and  their  equivalent,  1260  days,  symbolizing  1260  years, 
date  the  dark  ages  of  the  apostasy — beginning  in  the 


150  REVELATION  [x-xi 

third  century  and  extending  to  the  Reformation  of  the 
sixteenth  century.  The  true  church  in  this  period  is  an 
inner  circle  determined  by  divine  spiritual  measurement. 
When  in  Zechariah  a  young  man  attempts  to  measure  the 
poor  little  Jerusalem  of  the  restoration,  a  voice  from 
heaven  says :  "  Stop  that  young  man,"  and  announces 
that  Jerusalem  shall  become  immeasurable,  overflowing 
into  the  villages  and  country  round  about,  a  forecast  of 
the  Jerusalem  in  Revelation  xxi,  xxii. 

Now  let  us  read  again :  "  And  I  will  give  unto  my  two 
witnesses  and  they  shall  prophesy  a  thousand  two  hun- 
dred and  threescore  days,  clothed  in  sackcloth.  These 
are  the  two  olive  trees  and  the  two  candlesticks,  stand- 
ing before  the  Lord  of  the  earth."  Note  that  during  all 
this  dark  period  of  1260  years,  two  witnesses  never  cease 
to  testify,  though  in  sackcloth.  Their  testimony  is 
costly  to  them — it  is  testimony  as  at  a  funeral,  mourning 
for  the  apostasy  of  Zion,  and  for  the  slain  of  the  true 
people  of  God. 

Here  the  important  question  arises:  Who  these  wit- 
nesses? The  Old  Testament  analogue,  in  the  third  and 
fourth  chapters  of  Zechariah,  suggests  the  clue  to  the 
right  answer.  In  the  dark  ages  when  Israel  was  re- 
stored after  exile  in  Babylon,  there  were  two  anointed 
witnesses  accused  of  the  devil,  despised  of  men — namely, 
Joshua,  the  high  priest,  and  Zerubbabel,  the  civil  ruler. 
In  themselves  was  no  power.  Considering  the  moun- 
tain of  difficulty  which  obstructed  their  work  they  were 
contemptible  agencies  of  success.  But  considering  the 
divine  help,  it  was  said :  "  Who  art  thou,  O  great  moun- 
tain ?  Before  Zerubbabel  thou  shalt  become  a  plain :  and 
he  shall  bring  forth  the  headstone  thereof  with  shouting : 
Grace,  Grace  unto  it."  Truly  in  that  case  it  was  "  Not 
by  might,  nor  by  power,  but  by  my  Spirit,  saith  the  Lord 


x-xi]        SOUNDING  OF  THE  TRUMPETS       151 

of  Hosts."  So  in  this  case,  as  in  that  case,  are  two  wit- 
nesses, but  the  question  recurs:  Who  are  they  in  this 
case?  My  answer  is  that  the  key-passage  of  this  book, 
i,  12-16,  tells  us  plainly:  "The  candlestick  and  the  star 
are  the  light-bearers  " — i.e.,  the  church  and  the  preacher ; 
they  are  the  lower  lights  to  illumine  the  world.  The 
gates  of  hell  shall  not  prevail  against  Christ's  church :  the 
testimony  of  true  ministers  shall  never  cease.  It  has 
always  been  a  surprise  to  me  that  commentators  should 
be  in  doubt  about  these  two  witnesses.  The  true  church 
and  the  true  minister  should  testify  in  sackcloth  for  1260 
years.  They  should  be  in  mourning  for  the  apostasy,  for 
the  slain  of  its  persecution. 

In  the  next  synchronous  vision,  the  true  church  sym- 
bolized as  a  glorious  woman  of  xii,  i,  shall  be  driven 
into  the  wilderness,  hidden  but  not  lost,  for  this  precise 
period — 1260  years  (xii,  6).  The  power  ascribed  to 
these  two  witnesses  is  set  forth  under  the  imagery  of 
verses  5  and  6 :  "  And  if  any  man  desire  to  hurt  them, 
fire  proceedeth  out  of  their  mouth  and  devoureth  their 
enemies;  and  if  any  man  desire  to  hurt  them  in  this 
manner  must  he  be  killed.  These  have  the  power  to  shut 
the  heaven,  that  it  rain  not  during  the  days  of  their 
prophecy  and  they  have  power  over  the  waters  to  turn 
them  into  blood  and  to  smite  the  earth  with  every  plague, 
as  often  as  they  shall  desire."  This  imagery  applies  to 
their  use  of  the  conquering  word  of  God  in  denouncing 
judgment  on  their  enemies,  or  else  in  the  power  of  their 
prayers,  as  in  the  case  of  Elijah  shutting  up  the  heavens 
that  it  rain  not. 

Again  counting  a  day  for  a  year,  we  will  see  in  what 
I  soon  quote  that  for  three  and  a  half  days  (or  three  and 
a  half  years),  both  of  these  witnesses  seemed  to  be  dead: 
"  And  when  they  shall  have  finished  their  testimony,  the 


152  REVELATION  [x-xi 

beast  that  cometh  out  of  the  abyss  [beast  always  signifies 
government,  and  the  abyss  signifies  that  it  is  a  hell- 
government,  and  we  will  find  all  about  it  in  chapter  xvii] 
shall  make  war  with  them,  and  overcome  them  and  kill 
them.  And  their  bodies  shall  lie  in  the  street  of  the  great 
city,  which  spiritually  is  called  Sodom  and  Egypt,  where 
also  their  Lord  was  crucified.  And  from  among  the 
peoples  and  tribes  and  tongues  and  nations  do  men  look 
upon  their  dead  bodies  three  days  and  a  half,  and  suffer 
not  their  dead  bodies  to  be  laid  in  a  tomb  [note  that]. 
And  they  that  dwell  on  the  earth  rejoice  over  them  and 
make  merry;  and  they  shall  send  gifts  to  one  another, 
because  these  two  prophets  tormented  them  that  dwell 
on  the  earth." 

That  faithful  churches — and  faithful  preachers — 
would  point  out  their  sins,  cry  out  against  their  backslid- 
ing, was  a  torment  to  the  apostasy  through  all  the  1260 
years.  "  And  after  the  three  days  and  a  half  the  breath 
of  life  from  God  entered  into  them  and  they  stood  upon 
their  feet,  and  great  fear  fell  upon  them  that  beheld 
them." 

We  may  well  ask  just  here  what  event  of  history  cor- 
responds to  this  prophecy.  Here  I  cannot  do  better  than 
to  cite  a  remarkable  passage  from  Dr.  Justin  A.  Smith's 
commentary : 

"  No  purpose  of  God,  as  regards  the  gospel  of  man's 
salvation,  fails.  He  permits  to  His  gospel  a  fiery  ordeal, 
extending  through  many  centuries.  But  at  the  fit  time 
He  appears  again  in  its  behalf,  and  through  chosen  in- 
struments causes  it  to  be  once  more  declared,  as  here 
represented  in  the  little  book,  in  primeval  simplicity,  and 
in  a  ministry  that  bears  it  '  to  all  the  world.'  By  what 
appears  in  the  eleventh  chapter,  we  are  given  to  under- 
stand that  while  the  outer  court  of  the  symbolical  temple. 


x-xi]        SOUNDING  OF  THE  TRUMPETS       153 

and  the  city  itself,  are  trodden  under  foot  by  the  enemies 
of  God  and  truth  and  righteousness,  the  inner  sanctuary 
is  kept  safe;  in  other  words,  there  survives,  in  the  very 
worst  of  times,  a  faithful  remnant  by  whom  an  undese- 
crated  altar  is  preserved,  a  true  worship  offered,  and  that 
truth  which  embodies  the  substance  of  ancient  types 
maintained.  These  are  the  witnesses.  The  voice  of  a 
true  testimony  in  God's  behalf  does  not  die  out  of  the 
world,  even  when  persecution  rages  most  hotly;  nor  is 
it  holy  ground  even  when  the  world's  loud  tumult  is 
at  its  worst.  These  witnesses  do,  indeed,  testify — 
*  prophesy  ' — '  in  sackcloth  ' — the  garment  of  distress 
and  mourning.  Such  of  the  Lord's  true  people  as  sur- 
vive in  such  times  are  a  hunted  flock.  The  truth  itself 
is  under  reproach,  the  deriding  voices  rave  against  it. 
The  true  church  and  its  ordinances  are,  in  the  world's 
esteem,  placed  in  humiliating  contrast  with  the  shows  and 
splendours  of  that  apostasy  which  for  the  time  is  su- 
preme, while  everything  beautiful  and  sacred  and  benefi- 
cent in  Christianity  is  as  if  clad  in  sackcloth  of  humilia- 
tion, and  lamenting,  in  the  language  of  the  ancient 
prophet,  that  there  are  none  to  stand  upon  the  Lord's  side. 
And  there  comes  a  time  when  the  triumph  of  evil  seems 
complete.  It  is  the  deeper  gloom  that  precedes  the 
dawn.  All  the  powers  of  darkness  triumph.  The  mur- 
derers of  the  witnesses  rejoice  over  them  and  make 
merry,  and  send  gifts  one  to  another.  But  the  triumph 
is  brief.  Just  at  this  crisis  God  appears  for  His  truth 
and  His  people.  The  slain  witnesses  stand  upon  their 
feet.  They  rise  into  vigour  of  life  like  the  glory  that 
shone  in  the  person  and  face  of  the  risen  Lord.  Their 
enemies  behold  them  with  consternation,  and  the  triumph 
which  now  comes  to  them  in  turn  is  like  the  Lord's  own 
ascension  to  heaven  in  a  cloud,  receiving  all  power  in 


154*  REVELATIO  [x-xi 

heaven  and  in  earth.  Effects  follow  which  show  how 
truly  divine  is  that  intervention.  The  hostile  power 
shakes,  as  when  earthquakes  rock  the  globe,  while  the 
great  and  wicked  city,  in  whose  streets  the  slain  wit- 
nesses have  lain,  feels  the  shock. 

"  This  is,  in  general,  the  picture  sketched  for  us  in 
the  striking  symbolism  of  this  chapter.  If  we  have  read 
this  symbolism  right,  there  can  be,  it  would  seem,  only 
one  answer  to  the  question  where  the  historical  counter- 
part shall  be  sought.  There  is  one  point  of  crisis  in 
modern  times  which  fulfils  in  a  remarkable  degree  the 
conditions  of  an  adequate  historical  parallel  to  the  Apoca- 
lyptic picture  here  sketched.  Not  as  fulfilments  of  the 
prophecy  in  exact  detail,  but  as  indicating  some  general 
aspects  of  the  period  as  having  this  significance,  we  note 
the  following: 

"  In  A.D.  15 12-17,  a  council  was  held  in  Rome,  called 
from  the  place  of  its  assembly — the  Church  of  St.  John 
Lateran — the  Fifth  Lateran  Council.  At  the  eighth  ses- 
sion of  this  council,  held  in  December,  1513,  a  papal  bull 
was  issued,  in  which  was  a  summons  to  all  dissidents 
from  the  papal  authority  to  appear  before  the  council 
at  its  next  session,  in  the  following  May,  and  to  show 
cause  for  their  continued  refusal  to  acknowledge  the 
Pope's  supremacy.  When  the  Council  came  together  in 
that  session,  May  5,  15 14,  no  answer  appeared  to  this 
summons.  Not  that  there  were  no  longer  those  in  Chris- 
tendom who  refused  allegiance  to  the  usurped  authority 
of  Rome,  nor  because  any  one  could  have  imagined  that 
opportunity  for  a  free  protest  before  the  Council  would 
have  been  allowed ;  not  because,  joined  with  the  impossi- 
bility of  a  response  under  such  conditions,  it  was  a  fact 
that  just  at  that  time  there  actually  was  no  one  ready, 
like  the  Wickliffe  and  the  Huss  of  a  former  age,  or  the 


x-xi]        SOUNDING  OF  THE  TRUMPETS       155 

Luther  who  was  soon  to  appear,  to  give  a  voice  to  the 
spirit  of  revolt  against  Rome,  which,  though  widely 
prevalent,  was  for  the  most  part  nursed  in  secret. 
'  Throughout  the  length  and  breadth  of  Christendom,' 
says  Elliott — and  his  words  are  true  in  the  sense  just 
explained — *  Christ's  witnessing  servants  were  silenced  ' 
— they  appeared  as  dead.  The  orator  of  the  session 
ascended  the  pulpit,  and,  amidst  the  applause  of  the  as- 
sembled Council,  uttered  that  memorable  exclamation  of 
triumph — an  exclamation  which,  notwithstanding  the 
long  multiplied  anti-heretical  decrees  of  popes  and  coun- 
cils, notwithstanding  the  more  multiplied  anti-heretical 
crusade  and  inquisitorial  fires,  was  never,  I  believe,  pro- 
nounced before,  and  certainly  never  since :  '  Jam  nemo 
reclamat,  nullus  obsistit!' — 'There  is  an  end  of  resist- 
ance to  the  papal  rule  and  religion;  opposers  exist  no 
more ! '  And  again,  '  The  whole  body  of  Christendom  is 
now  seen  to  be  subjected  to  its  head,  that  is,  to  thee.' 
Three  years  and  a  half  later,  October  31,  15 17,  Luther 
nailed  his  theses  to  the  Wittenberg  church  door! 

"  It  is  undoubtedly  true  that  for  some  time  previous 
to  the  meeting  of  this  Fifth  Lateran  Council,  as  described, 
the  murderers  of  God's  people  had  been  especially  active, 
with  results  of  intimidation  and  the  apparent  silencing 
of  dissent  and  protest  highly  gratifying  to  the  hierarchy. 
The  crusaders  against  the  Albigenses  and  Waldenses  had 
well-nigh  extirpated  those  troublesome  heretics.  The 
measures  of  the  Inquisition  in  various  parts  of  Europe 
had  succeeded  to  the  utmost  wish  of  those  by  whom  they 
were  carried  on.  A  threatening  schism  in  the  papal  body 
itself  was  healed  during  the  session  of  this  Council.  So 
fully,  in  view  of  all,  did  the  members  of  the  Council 
sympathize  in  the  exultant  confidence  of  their  orator  that 
upon  the  final  adjournment  they  celebrated  the  triumph 


156  REVELATION  [x-xi 

which  Popery  seemed  to  have  achieved  in  a  feast,  whose 
splendour  had  never  in  Rome  been  equalled.  It  was  like 
the  rejoicing,  the  merry-making  and  the  sending  of  gifts 
of  which  our  prophecy  speaks.  It  is  also  matter  of  his- 
tory that  in  that  same  Council  there  was  an  emphatic  re- 
affirmation of  the  long-standing  papal  law  that  the  bodies 
of  heretics  should  be  denied  all  rights  of  Christian  burial ; 
so  that  here,  also,  we  find  almost  literal  fulfilment  of  the 
words :  '  Do  not  suffer  their  bodies  to  be  put  in  graves.' 
These  conspicuous  examples  of  the  application  of  this 
law  in  the  exhuming  and  burning  of  the  bones  of  Wick- 
liffe,  at  an  earlier  date,  by  command  of  the  Council  of 
Constance,  and  the  direction  given  by  the  same  Council 
that  the  ashes  of  Huss  should  be  cast  into  the  Lake  of 
Constance,  are  familiar  facts.  It  may  be  added  that  in 
like  manner  the  ashes  of  Savonarola  were  thrown  into 
the  Amo,  and  that  it  was  common  for  the  papal  bulls 
to  ordain  that  the  heretics  against  whom  they  were  ful- 
minated should  not  only  be  put  to  death,  but  should  be 
denied  Christian  burial." 

Just  three  and  a  half  years  from  that  time  all 
Europe  was  ablaze  with  the  Reformation,  and  the 
Romanist  power  has  never  recovered  from  the  shock  it 
received. 

Three  things  are  said  in  our  lesson  of  the  effect  of  the 
revival  of  the  witnesses : 

1.  "  Great  fear  fell  on  all  those  who  saw  the  revival " 
— which  means  that  all  the  Romanist  hierarchy  trembled 
when  the  Reformation  fires  began  to  break  out  in  so  many 
places  and  among  so  many  peoples  of  Europe. 

2.  The  Romanist  hierarchy  heard  the  voice  calling  the 
witnesses  up  to  heaven  (xi,  12).  Heaven  here  is  not 
the  final  abode  of  the  blest,  but  the  apocalyptic  heaven, 
the  scene  of  the  vision,  and  means  simply  that  their  ene- 


x-xi]        SOUNDING  OF  THE  TRUMPETS       157 

mies  witnessed  honour  and  open  exaltation  conferred 
of  God  on  these  long  despised  witnesses. 

3.  Chapter  xi,  13,  means  the  convulsions  which  followed 
the  Reformation  in  which  Rome  lost  and  Protestantism 
won  most  of  France,  Switzerland,  Germany,  Holland, 
Denmark,  Norway,  Sweden,  England  and  Scotland. 

We  come  now  to  the  last  of  the  chapter: 

The  Seventh  Angel  Sounds 

Having  thus  disposed  of  the  question :  What  about  the 
true  gospel  and  what  about  the  true  church  during  the 
dark  ages,  the  last  angel  will  sound,  and  will  omit  only 
the  last  woe,  we  will  get  to  that  in  the  eighteenth  chapter, 
and  we  will  see  that  woe  as  it  strikes  the  Papacy. 

"  And  the  seventh  angel  sounded :  and  there  followed 
great  voices  in  heaven,  and  they  said :  The  kingdom  of 
the  world  is  become  the  kingdom  of  our  Lord,  and  of 
his  Christ,  and  he  shall  reign  for  ever  and  ever.  And  the 
four  and  twenty  elders  [representing  the  eternal  priest- 
hood of  Christ's  people],  who  sat  before  God  on  their 
throne,  fell  upon  their  faces  and  worshipped  God,  saying : 
We  give  thee  thanks,  O  Lord  God  Almighty,  who  art 
and  who  wast,  because  thou  hast  taken  thy  great  power 
and  didst  reign.  And  the  nations  were  wroth,  and  thy 
wrath  came,  and  the  time  of  the  dead  to  be  judged,  and 
the  time  to  give  thy  rewards  to  thy  servants  the  prophets, 
and  to  the  saints,  and  to  them  that  fear  thy  name,  the 
small  and  the  great,  and  to  destroy  them  that  destroy  the 
earth.  And  there  was  opened  the  temple  of  God  that  is 
in  heaven,  and  there  was  seen  in  this  temple  the  ark  of 
the  covenant,  and  there  followed  lightnings  and  voices  and 
thunders,  and  an  earthquake,  and  a  great  hail." 

I  showed  you  that  the  seals  gave  one  panoramic  view 


158  REVELATION  [x-xi 

of  the  gospel  as  preached  to  the  end  of  time,  and  that 
the  trumpets  gave  you  another  panoramic  view  parallel 
with  it,  of  the  gospel  as  prayed  to  the  end  of  time,  and 
so  this  passage  here :  "  The  kingdom  of  the  world  is 
become  the  kingdom  of  our  Lord,  and  of  his  Christ," 
shows  that  the  recovered  gospel  in  the  Reformation 
times  will  never  be  silenced  any  more — Rome  will  never 
be  able  to  shut  again  that  open  book;  she  will  never  be 
able  to  chain  that  Bible  again ;  she  will  never  be  able  to 
stop  the  onward  march  of  missions  that  is  to-day  reaching 
the  utmost  parts  of  the  world,  and  I  would  very  solemnly 
impress  upon  you  that  it  is  the  Spirit  dispensation,  and 
the  dispensation  of  a  true  church,  and  the  dispensation 
of  a  true  ministry  that  will  bring  about  this  glorious  con- 
summation, which  will  be  more  fully  discussed  when  we 
come  to  the  Millennium  in  the  twentieth  chapter  of  this 
book.  I  want  to  make  this  very  impressive,  because 
when  you  talk  missions  you  must  talk  in  faith  of  their 
triumph.  It  is  the  open  restored  gospel,  and  under  its 
power  you  must  preach  confidently  to  any  nation,  to  any 
king,  to  any  people,  and  your  heart  must  be  assured 
that  by  this  gospel  preached,  will  every  man  be  saved 
that  is  ever  to  be  saved  in  this  world.  I  will  tell  you 
that  that  is  one  of  the  key-passages  in  Revelation :  "  The 
kingdom  of  this  world  is  become  the  kingdom  of  our 
Lord,  and  of  his  Christ."  The  candlesticks  were  lighted 
to  illumine  the  world,  and  though  when  in  chapters  ii 
and  iii  we  showed  the  pitiful  imperfections  of  the 
churches,  we  wondered  if  such  instrumentalities  could 
ever  enlighten  the  world,  and  when  we  saw  the  deficien- 
cies of  the  preachers,  we  wondered  if  by  men  like  these 
the  kingdom  of  this  world  should  ever  become  the  king- 
dom of  our  Lord  and  of  His  Christ;  yet  when  we  saw 
the  heavens  opened  and  what  powers  were  employed 


x-xi]        SOUNDING  OF  THE  TRUMPETS       159 

there  to  help  the  churches  and  preachers,  we  no  longer 
wondered.  As  they  preached  they  conquered;  as  they 
prayed  they  conquered ;  stricken  down  as  if  dead,  they 
revived  again  and  the  fire  broke  out  into  a  greater 
blaze,  and  was  more  widely  spread  than  before.  That 
is  the  crowd  I  belong  to. 

EXAMINATION  QUESTIONS 

1.  Give  briefly  a  review  of  the  seals  and  trumpets,  and 
then  tell  what  questions  chapter  x  answers,  and  what  other 
questions  chapter  xi  answers. 

2.  Who  the  radiant  angel  of  x,  i  ? 

3.  The  meaning  of  his  posture — one  foot  on  the  sea  and  the 
other  on  the   land? 

4.  Why  the  temporary  sealing  up  of  the  voices  of  the  seven 
thunders?  When  and  how  do  they  reappear  and  find  record? 
Where  and  for  similar  reasons  have  we  found  a  temporary 
silence  in  a  preceding  section? 

5.  State  the  oath  of  the  angel  as  wrongly  rendered  in  the 
common  version,  and  then  as  better  rendered  in  the  Standard 
Version. 

6.  (a)  To  what  previous  question  is  the  oath  a  final  an- 
swer, and  (b)  compare  it  with  the  answer  then  given,  and  (c) 
with  what  parable  is  it  in  agreement,  and  (d)  give  Peter's 
reason  for  the  delay,  and  (e)  why  does  this  delay  seem  long 
to  us  and  only  "a  little  while"  to  God? 

7.  Discriminate  between  the  book  of  v,  i,  and  the  book  of 
X,  2,  and  then  (a)  tell  what  this  book  means,  (b)  the  mean- 
ing of  eating  it,  and   (c)  explain  its  application  to  x,  11. 

8.  What  is  measured  in  xi,  1-2,  and  what  does  it  mean? 

9.  (a)  In  the  Old  Testament  are  two  measurements  some- 
what similar  to  the  one  in  xi,  1-2— where  are  they,  and  (b) 
where  in  this  book  another  one?  (c)  Explain  their  relation  to 
each  other,  and    (d)    what  the  meaning  of  this  one? 

ID.  (a)  How  long  will  this  small  measure  last,  and  (b) 
explain  the  symbolic  numbers,  42  months  (xi,  2),  1260  days 
(xi,  8),  and  by  comparison  of  xi,  2-3,  with  xii,  6,  prove  that 
"  temple "  in  xi,  i,  and  the  woman  in  xii,  i,  mean  the  same 
thing. 

11.  (a)  What  the  Old  Testament  analogue  of  xi,  3-4,  and 
(b)  the  two  witnesses  there,  and  (c)  who  the  two  witnesses 
here  ? 

12.  Meaning  of   "  prophesying  in  sackcloth  "  ? 

13.  Give  the  historic  fulfilment  of  the  death  and  revival  of 
the  witnesses  and  all  the  attendant  circumstances  of  xi,  7-n. 

14.  What  the  meaning  of  xi,   12? 


160  REVELATION  [x-xi 

15.  What  historical   correspondence  to   xi,    13,  showing   the 
eflfect  of  the  revival  of  the  witnesses? 

16.  Where  will  we  find  the  third  woe  named  but  not  given 
in  xi,  14? 

17.  What  glorious  consummation  follows  the  seventh  trumpet, 
and  what  parallel  in  the  last  synchronous  view? 


XI 


PROPHETIC  FORECASTS  OF  CHURCH 
HISTORY 

Revelation  XII 

THIS  is  by  far  the  longest  section  in  the  book,  ex- 
tending from  xii,  i,  to  xix,  lo.  Its  interpretation 
will  call  for  several  chapters.  It  will  be,  or  at 
least  has  proved  to  be,  exceedingly  difficult  of  interpreta- 
tion, and  before  attempting  the  detailed  exposition  we 
must  first  consider  the  general  purpose  of  the  whole  sec- 
tion. The  entire  section  gives  a  prophetic  forecast  of 
the  history  of  two  opposing  religious  institutions.  Each 
institution  is  symbolized  by  a  woman  who  glides  into 
a  city;  that  is,  the  symbol  changes  from  a  woman  to  a 
city.  The  idea,  as  elsewhere  throughout  the  book,  comes 
from  the  Old  Testament  imagery,  the  general  convoca- 
tion of  ancient  Israel  as  represented  by  the  prophets  is 
a  woman  betrothed  to  Jehovah.  Marital  infidelity,  or 
harlotry,  on  the  part  of  this  woman  is  defined  to  be  a 
turning  away  from  Jehovah  to  worship  idols.  That  is, 
spiritual  fornication  means  idolatry.  Paul  in  a  measure 
adopts  this  imagery  in  his  letter  to  the  Galatians  (iv, 
21-31),  where  in  the  form  of  an  allegory  he  makes  Hagar 
and  Sarah  represent  the  two  covenants :  Hagar,  the  bond- 
woman, answering  to  the  earthly  Jerusalem,  and 
Sarah,  the  true  wife,  answering  to  the  heavenly  Jeru- 
salem. 

161 


162  REVELATION  [xn 

We  need  not  be  surprised,  therefore,  to  find  in  this 
symboHcal,  apocalyptic  prophecy  two  women  representing 
two  opposing  institutions,  nor  to  find  each  woman,  by  a 
change  of  figure,  becoming  a  city.  Nor  need  we  to 
stumble  in  the  exposition  if,  bearing  in  mind  the  law  of 
interpreting  symbols,  we  be  careful  not  to  construe  a 
symbol  literally.  A  symbolic  woman  is  not  a  real  woman. 
As  there  was  a  real  Hagar  and  a  real  Sarah,  so  there  is 
some  historical  background  which  will  be  the  analogue  of 
every  symbol  in  this  book.  For  example,  there  was  the 
historic  Jezebel,  the  wife  of  Ahab,  who  led  Israel  to  wor- 
ship idols,  else  there  would  be  no  force  in  calling  the 
temptress  Jezebel  who  led  the  church  at  Thyatira  astray 
in  idolatry. 

Let  us,  therefore,  look  at  the  two  women  in  this  sec- 
tion. The  first  is  thus  described :  "  And  a  great  sign  was 
seen  in  heaven,  a  woman  arrayed  with  the  sun,  and  the 
moon  under  her  feet,  and  upon  her  head  was  a  crown  of 
twelve  stars  " — heaven  here  must  not  be  understood  as 
the  final  abode  of  the  blest,  but  is  the  scene  of  the  vision. 
The  word  "sign"  (Greek  "  semeion  ")  is  further  proof 
that  the  woman  is  not  real.  "  Woman  "  symbolizes  the 
church  as  an  institution.  "  Arrayed  with  the  sun " 
means  that  Christ  is  her  light.  The  "  moon  under  her 
feet "  means  that  the  Christ  light  is  not  direct  but  re- 
flected, as  the  moon  shines  when  the  sun  is  absent.  Note 
that  her  crown  is  not  a  symbol  of  sovereignty.  It  is  a 
garland  given  as  a  reward  to  victors — Greek  "  Stephanos," 
not  "  diadema,"  a  diadem  worn  by  sovereigns.  The 
twelve  stars  probably  allude  to  the  twelve  apostles,  in  a 
teaching  sense  the  foundation,  as  the  twelve  foundations 
of  the  Holy  City  (xxi,  14),  which  itself  helps  to  prove 
that  the  woman  is  the  church — she  radiating  with  Christ's 
light  and  the  light  of  the  apostles.     In  the  second  chap- 


xn]  PROPHETIC  FORECASTS  163 

ter  of  Ephesians  we  have  the  thought  somewhat  ex- 
pressed (20th  verse)  :  "  Being  built  upon  the  foundation 
of  the  apostles,  Jesus  Christ  himself  being  the  chief 
cornerstone,  in  whom  each  several  building,  fatly  framed 
together,  groweth  into  a  holy  temple  in  the  Lord." 
This  woman,  then,  stands  before  us  as  pre-eminently 
a  light-bearer — of  the  light  of  Christ,  of  the  light  of 
the  Apostles  and  the  New  Testament  prophets.  The 
fact  that  she  has  a  garland  on  her  head  rather  than  a 
crown  shows  that  when  she  appears  she  has  won  a  vic- 
tory. The  picture  reminds  us  of  the  description  of  the 
woman  in  Solomon's  song  (vi,  10)  :  "  Who  is  she  that 
looketh  forth  as  the  morning,  fair  as  the  moon,  clear  as 
the  sun,  terrible  as  an  army  with  banners?  "  That  is  the 
woman. 

The  second  woman  is  thus  described  (xvii,  1-6)  :  "  And 
there  came  one  of  the  seven  angels  that  had  the  seven 
bowls,  and  spake  with  me,  saying,  Come  hither,  I  will 
show  you  the  judgment  of  the  great  harlot  that  sitteth 
upon  many  waters ;  with  whom  the  kings  of  the  earth 
committed  fornication,  and  they  that  dwell  in  the  earth 
were  made  drunken  with  the  wine  of  her  fornication; 
and  he  carried  me  away  in  the  Spirit  into  the  wilderness : 
and  I  saw  a  woman  sitting  upon  a  scarlet  coloured  beast, 
full  of  the  names  of  blasphemy,  having  seven  heads  and 
ten  horns.  And  the  woman  was  arrayed  in  purple  and 
scarlet,  and  decked  with  gold  and  precious  stones  and 
pearls,  having  in  her  hand  a  golden  cup  full  of  abomina- 
tions, even  the  unclean  things  of  her  fornication,  and 
upon  her  forehead  a  name  written :  Mystery,  Babylon  the 
Great,  the  mother  of  harlots  and  the  abominations  of  the 
earth.  And  I  saw  the  woman  drunken  with  the  blood  of 
the  saints,  and  with  the  blood  of  the  martyrs  of  Jesus, 
and  when  I  saw  her  I  wondered  with  a  great  wonder." 


164?  REVELATION  [xn 

The  explanation  of  the  terms  here  will  be  given  when 
we  reach  the  seventeenth  chapter. 

Did  you  ever  see  two  pictures  standing  over  against 
each  other  more  in  contrast  than  these  two?  Now,  the 
question  is :  who  are  these  women  ?  Is  either  one  of  them 
a  real  woman,  and  when  the  second  one  glides  into  a  city 
called  Babylon  is  it  the  real  Babylon  which  in  ancient 
times  led  Israel  into  captivity?  When  the  first  one,  now 
only  betrothed  to  Christ,  becomes  the  wife  of  the  Lamb 
at  the  close  of  this  section  (xix,  7,  8),  can  we,  with  the 
Romanists,  interpret  this  wife  of  the  Lamb  to  be  His 
mother,  the  Virgin  Mary,  and  worship  her  as  the  Queen 
of  Heaven?  And  when  later  this  wife,  by  a  change  of 
figure,  becomes  a  city,  Jerusalem  (xxi,  9-12),  shall  we 
call  it  the  earthly  Jerusalem? 

We  are  safe,  therefore,  in  a  general  interpretation  that 
the  first  woman  represents  the  true  church  of  Christ  as 
an  institution,  and  that  the  second  woman  represents  the 
apostate  church  as  an  institution,  originated  by  Satan  to 
counterfeit  the  true.  In  our  chapter  on  Matthew  xvi  and 
xviii,  where  Christ  says :  "  On  this  rock  I  will  build  my 
church,"  we  have  already  learned  that  the  term  church 
may  be  used  abstractly  if  considered  as  an  institution,  or 
concretely  when  applied  to  a  particular  congregation,  or 
prospectively  when  it  is  applied  to  the  future  church  in 
glory.  In  chapter  xii,  under  the  symbol  of  a  radiant 
woman,  the  church  is  represented  as  an  institution.  I 
read  the  second  verse :  "  And  she  was  with  child,  and 
she  crieth  out  travailing  in  birth  and  in  pain  to  be  de- 
livered." This  spiritual  travail  is  a  familiar  figure  of 
speech  in  both  Testaments.  For  example,  Isaiah,  fore- 
seeing the  regeneration  or  new  birth  of  the  Jewish  na- 
tion in  one  day,  says :  "  Who  hath  heard  of  such  a  thing — 
who  hath  ever  seen  such  a  thing  ?     Shall  a  land  be  born 


xn]  PROPHETIC  FORECASTS  165 

in  cne  day?  Shall  a  nation  be  brought  forth  at  once? 
For  as  soon  as  Zion  travailed  she  brought  forth  her  chil- 
dren." Now,  the  church  is  represented  as  being  in 
travail  to  bring  forth  children;  as  when  in  a  revival 
meeting  we  say:  This  church,  this  Zion,  must  travail  in 
order  that  new  converts  may  be  born  unto  God. 

Continuing  the  quotation  (verse  31)  :  "And  there  was 
seen  another  sign  in  heaven,  and  behold!  a  great  red 
dragon  having  seven  heads  and  ten  horns,  and  upon  his 
heads  seven  diadems  " — not  "  Stephanos,"  a  garland,  but 
diadems,  the  symbols  of  authority.  What  is  the  meaning 
of  this  great  red  dragon?  A  horrible  thing  as  seen  in 
that  vision.  What  does  it  mean?  Your  9th  verse  tells 
you  exactly :  "  The  old  serpent,  he  that  is  called  the 
devil,  Satan,  the  deceiver  of  the  world."  That  is  what 
that  sign  represents.  What  is  meant  by  "  having  seven 
heads  "  ?  That  refers  us  to  his  diverse  sources  of  vitality, 
and  his  persistence  in  life  after  it  seems  you  have  killed 
him — seven  being  the  symbolic  number  of  perfection  or 
fulness.  You  have  heard  that  a  cat  has  nine  lives; 
well,  the  symbolic  seven  means  more  than  nine — means 
any  number  of  heads,  any  number  of  seats  of  intelli- 
gences, diverse  forms  of  intelligence,  diverse  forms  of 
vitality,  diverse  capacity  of  biting  and  striking.  Just 
here  those  of  you  who  have  studied  the  classics  will  re- 
call the  famous  battle  between  Hercules  and  Hydra. 
Hydra  was  the  many-headed  snake.  You  have  little 
trouble  in  killing  a  snake  with  one  head ;  with  stick  or 
stone  you  crush  that  one  head.  But  suppose  that  when 
you  strike  at  one  head,  the  one  you  see,  the  other  six 
in  ambush  strike  at  you. 

The  devil  struck  with  three  heads  of  temptation  at 
Christ  in  the  wilderness — and  each  in  succession  was 


166  REVELATION  [xn 

crushed.  But  the  record  says  the  devil  left  Him  for  a 
little  while;  he  came  back  again — he  had  another  way 
to  try  Him ;  he  came  back  at  Him  in  another  form.  He 
will  the  same  way  approach  you.  You  need  not  think, 
because  you  have  overcome  the  evil  one  in  one  form, 
that  you  have  won  a  final  victory.  He  takes  as  many 
shapes  as  Proteus,  he  has  as  many  heads  as  Hydra,  as 
many  hands  as  Briareus,  as  many  eyes  as  Argus,  and 
he  always  falls  on  his  feet. 

What  is  meant  by  diadem?  It  means  that  it  is  unlike 
that  woman's  garland  who  had  no  sovereignty.  The 
woman  is  not  sovereign,  for  Christ  is  the  Sovereign. 
But  the  devil  is  a  real  king ;  he  is  the  king  of  the  pit ;  he 
was  the  king  of  that  swarm  of  locusts  we  talked  about; 
he  is  the  king  of  all  the  fallen  angels;  he  is  the  prince 
of  the  world.  As  Paul  says,  "  We  wrestle  not  against 
flesh  and  blood,  but  against  principalities  and  powers  " ; 
he  is  the  prince  of  this  world. 

What  is  meant  by  his  ten  horns  ?  Always  in  this  book 
a  horn  is  a  symbol  of  power,  and  ten  is  one  of  the  pro- 
phetic numbers  to  represent  any  number  of  powers.  The 
unicorn  mentioned  in  the  Bible,  which  I  suppose  is  the 
one-horned  rhinoceros,  has  only  one  horn,  and  if  you 
can  get  away  from  that  one  horn,  you  are  all  right  for 
a  while;  if  a  wild  bull  comes  after  you  he  can  gore  you 
with  only  two  horns ;  but  the  devil  can  hook  you  in  any 
direction.  The  ten  horns  represent  the  diversity  and 
multitude  of  his  powers. 

We  will  read  again  (4th  verse) :  "  And  his  tail  draweth 
a  third  part  of  the  stars  of  heaven  and  did  cast  them  to 
the  earth."  The  tail  here  is  but  carrying  out  the  idea  of 
a  dragon.  Every  serpent  has  a  tail,  and  many  of  the 
crocodile  class  have  their  greatest  power  in  their  tails. 
If  you  are  walking  along  a  Louisiana  bayou,  thinking  you 


xn]  PROPHETIC  FORECASTS  167 

are  passing  an  old  rotten  log,  which  is  an  alligator,  he 
will  knock  you  into  the  water  with  his  tail  and  then  go 
in  after  you  and  devour  you.  Now,  while  the  tail  is  an 
essential  part  of  a  reptile,  it  symbolizes  here  the  pagan 
power  he  will  use  against  the  church.  The  stars  drawn 
by  the  tail  represent  the  pastors  he  leads  astray  by  fear 
of  persecution,  by  immorality,  or  heresy.  Note  the  tense 
"  draweth,"  not  "  has  drawn,"  which  by  anticipation 
shows  how  in  the  conflict  with  the  woman  he  will  try  to 
destroy  her  by  corrupting  her  ministry.  The  *'  third 
part "  signifies  that  in  this  particular  conflict  he  will  only 
partially  succeed  in  corrupting  the  ministry.  The  ma- 
jority will  remain  faithful.  It  is  an  outrage  on  inter- 
pretation to  make  the  stars  here  refer  to  the  fallen  angels 
who  were  seduced  by  Satan  before  Adam  was  created. 
That  is  indeed  the  historic  background  which  furnishes 
the  imagery  of  this  future  event — see  Jude  6  and  II 
Peter  ii,  4. 

I  therefore  repeat  the  question:  Who  are  the  stars? 
In  this  book  they  are  preachers,  and  it  means  that  in  the 
coming  persecution  a  relatively  large  number  of  preachers 
will  fall.  Walking  carelessly  along  the  bayou  of  sin  they 
have  been  knocked  by  the  tail  of  this  alligator  into  its 
mouth.  Henceforward  they  become  preachers  of  the 
devil  rather  than  of  Jesus  Christ.  I  once  saw  a  preacher 
as  drunk  as  a  fool ;  a  bystander  said :  "  He  is  so  drunk 
he  could  not  hit  the  ground  with  his  hat."  A  friend 
also  standing  by  me,  who  was  a  student  of  this  book, 
said :  "  The  alligator's  tail  has  drawn  down  that  star — 
he  has  that  preacher."  What  an  awful  thing  when  one 
commissioned  of  heaven  to  outshine  the  real  stars  shall 
fall  from  his  high  estate  and  become  a  servant  of  the 
devil  rather  than  a  leader  of  the  hosts  of  the  true  God. 
Whenever  a  preacher  tells  lies,  whenever  he  is  two-faced 


168  REVELATION  [xn 

and  double-tongued,  whenever  he  is  a  strife  maker  and 
not  a  peace  maker,  the  devil's  tail  has  hit  him. 

We  continue  to  read :  "  And  the  dragon  sitteth  before 
the  woman  that  is  about  to  be  deUvered,  that  when  she 
is  deHvered  he  may  devour  her  child.  And  she  was  de- 
livered of  a  son,  a  man-child,  who  is  to  rule  the  nations 
with  a  rod  of  iron,  and  the  child  was  caught  up  to  God 
•unto  his  throne."  The  devil  got  that  child's  body ;  when 
you  see  the  woman  a  little  later  the  child  is  not  with  her. 
But  the  devil  did  not  get  the  soul — that  was  caught  up  to 
heaven.  But  he  did  destroy  the  body  of  that  child  and 
thought  he  was  winning  a  great  fight.  Now,  the  ques- 
tion is :  Who  is  that  man-child  ?  In  the  verse  I  have 
just  read  it  states  that  he  is  to  rule  all  the  nations  with 
a  rod  of  iron,  and  here  the  child  was  caught  up  unto  His 
throne.  On  that  statement  Alford  and  nearly  all  com- 
mentators say  that  the  child  was  Jesus  Christ,  and  that 
it  could  not  possibly  apply  to  anybody  else.  If  that  be 
true,  I  would  like  to  ask  Mr.  Alford  who  then  is  this 
woman,  the  mother  of  the  child.  Some  commentators 
try  to  get  out  of  that  difficulty  by  saying  that  the  woman 
is  indeed  the  church,  but  that  the  church  here  is  an  Old 
Testament  church,  continued  in  the  New  Testament,  and 
about  equivalent  to  the  Kingdom.  I  fail  to  see  how  the 
Kingdom  gives  birth  to  its  founder,  and  totally  dissent 
from  such  a  mixed  interpretation  of  the  word  "  church." 
When  Jesus  said,  "I  will  build  my  church  .  .  ."He 
had  before  Him  the  Old  Testament  Jewish  church,  the 
convocation  of  national  Israel,  and  He  had  before  Him 
the  Greek  church,  the  civil  body  governing  in  every  city, 
yet  in  contradiction  to  both  of  them  He  says,  "  I  will 
build  my  church,"  and  if  this  woman  represents  the 
church,  she  represents  the  New  Testament  church,  not  a 
mixed    Old    Testament    and    New    Testament    church. 


xii]  PROPHETIC  FORECASTS  169 

Moreover,  this  whole  vision  is  a  part  of  the  things  "  that 
shall  come  to  pass  hereafter,"  and  we  are  now  in  that 
section  of  Revelation.  We  have  seen  the  things  that 
John  "  saw,"  we  have  seen  the  things  "  that  are  "  in  the 
seven  churches  on  earth  and  the  things  "  that  are  "  in 
heaven,  but  ever  since  that  we  have  been  in  the  things 
that  shall  take  place  hereafter.  Whoever  this  man-child 
is,  he  was  not  born  before  or  in  John's  time,  and  the  fact 
that  he  is  to  be  caught  up  to  the  throne  of  God  and  rule 
the  nations  with  a  rod  of  iron  cannot  necessarily  prove 
that  it  was  Jesus  Christ,  for  in  this  very  book,  and  in  the 
parts  we  have  gone  over,  Christ  said :  "  To  him  that  over- 
cometh  will  I  give  to  sit  down  on  my  throne,  and  I  will 
give  him  authority  over  nations,  and  he  shall  rule  them 
with  a  rod  of  iron."  Therefore,  it  is  not  at  all  necessary 
to  violate  the  symbolism  by  making  this  child  to  mean 
Jesus  Christ,  born  away  back  yonder  in  the  past  from 
John's  time,  nor  to  make  this  woman  represent  some- 
thing that  existed  away  back  yonder  in  the  Old  Testa- 
ment. In  John's  time  the  church  as  an  institution  seems 
beaten  by  her  adversaries.  John  is  cheered  by  a  vision 
of  this  apparently  beaten  institution,  crowned  with  a  gar- 
land of  victory  and  radiant  with  light.  When  John 
writes  he  is  under  the  persecution  of  Domitian,  a  very 
discouraging  time,  and  the  church  as  an  institution  does 
not  seem  to  be  in  a  prosperous  condition.  But  he  sees 
in  the  future  ahead  of  him  this  glorious  church  about  to 
be  marvellously  prosperous.  She  wears  the  garland  of 
victory.  The  church  goes  on  conquering  and  to  conquer 
up  to  the  time  of  the  Emperor  Decius,  a.d.  248,  when, 
according  to  Gibbon,  the  greatest  persecution  ever  known 
to  history,  or  that  paganism  ever  waged  against  the 
church,  was  in  his  administration.  The  church,  from 
John's  time,  wears  the  garland  wreath  of  victory  on  her 


170  REVELATION  [xn 

brow  up  to  the  time  of  the  Decian  persecution.  The 
dragon  in  that  persecution  devours  her  converts  and 
drives  her  into  the  wilderness.  It  is  true  that  the  history 
in  Matthew  ii,  13-16,  when  the  devil  through  Herod  seeks 
the  life  of  the  child  Jesus,  is  the  historic  background  sug- 
gesting the  imagery  of  this  vision  of  a  future  event. 
And  it  is  true  that  after  His  crucifixion  our  Lord  ascended 
to  a  heavenly  throne,  but 

Who,  then,  is  the  man-child  ?  My  answer  is  that  one 
is  taken  to  represent  a  class,  that  is,  the  man-child  repre- 
sents the  martyrs  that  are  to  be  put  to  death  in  this  com- 
ing persecution.     They  are  converts  just  as  you  are. 

The  17th  verse  says:  "And  the  dragon  waxed  wroth 
with  the  woman,  and  went  away  to  make  war  with  the 
rest  of  her  seed  that  keep  the  commandments  of  God 
and  hold  the  testimony  of  Jesus  Christ."  He  did  not 
succeed  with  that  first  seed,  but  purposes  to  assail  the 
rest  of  them  and  by  a  new  kind  of  power — he  will  use 
different  means,  as  we  will  see  in  the  next  lesson.  The 
head  he  is  using  right  now  in  devouring  the  converts  is 
the  Pagan  persecution  of  Decius. 

Now,  as  a  further  proof  that  I  am  right  in  saying  this 
man-child  represents  a  whole  class,  later  on  in  the  chap- 
ter (verse  11),  he  is  spoken  of  as  plural:  "And  they 
overcame  him  because  of  the  blood  of  the  Lamb,  and 
because  of  the  word  of  their  testimony,  and  they  loved 
not  their  lives  unto  death."  Now,  all  of  verse  7  to  verse 
II  is  parenthetical  and  epexegetical  of  the  killing  of  the 
man-child.  It  is  a  parenthesis.  For  instance,  in  the 
third  chapter  of  John  we  have :  "  Except  a  man  be  born 
from  above  he  cannot  see  the  kingdom  of  God,"  and  fur- 
ther down  in  the  chapter  we  have :  "  Except  a  man  be 
born  of  water  and  Spirit,  he  cannot  enter  the  kingdom 
of  heaven."     That  second  statement  is  epexegetical  of 


xu]  PROPHETIC  FORECASTS  171 

the  first  one.  That  is,  it  elaborates  by  giving  the  con- 
stituent elements  of  the  new  birth — cleansing  by  applica- 
tion of  Christ's  blood  and  renewing  of  mind  by  the  Holy 
Spirit. 

I  want  you  to  reflect  most  solemnly  upon  my  position, 
taken  by  no  commentary  in  the  world,  and  on  the  cor- 
rectness of  which  I  will  risk  my  reputation:  that  from 
verse  7  to  ii  the  whole  paragraph  is  parenthetical,  and 
is  simply  explanatory  of  the  devouring  of  the  man-child. 
As  soon  as  that  parenthesis  is  interposed,  you  go  right 
on  about  the  woman  in  the  wilderness ;  you  resume  the 
story  that  was  interrupted  by  the  parenthesis. 

How,  then,  does  the  devil  propose  to  destroy  the  con- 
verts of  the  church?  In  this  verse  you  see  a  class  rep- 
resented by  a  man-child — the  class  of  the  martyrs  that 
you  saw  in  the  fifth  seal  of  the  preceding  lecture — how 
does  he  propose  to  devour  that  man-child?  By  using  a 
Pagan  government  to  kill  them  in  various  ways:  cut 
their  heads  off,  burn  them  at  the  stake,  destroy  them  root 
and  branch.  He  lost  the  fight,  though  he  thought  he  had 
won  it.  He  lost  the  fight  because  the  blood  of  the  mar- 
tyrs is  the  seed  of  the  church.  Wickliffe's  ashes  were 
cast  into  the  river  Severn  after  his  body  was  burned. 
They  cast  his  ashes  into  the  river,  but  the  river  carried 
them  to  the  sea,  and  the  sea  carried  them  around  the 
shores  of  the  world,  and  so  Wickliffe's  soul  goes  march- 
ing on.  You  will  see  in  the  next  chapter  how  the  devil 
will  employ  a  more  formidable  means  of  persecution. 
You  cannot  understand  the  next  lesson  unless  you  note 
this  change :  his  first  means  to  destroy  the  churches  was 
to  put  their  members  to  death  by  persecution  of  Pagan 
Rome.     His  next  expedient  will  be  Papal  Rome. 

Let  us  now  expound  that  parenthesis — I  have  told  you 
that  verses  7  to  11  is  a  parenthesis  explanatory  of  th^ 


172  REVELATION  [xii 

devouring  of  that  child.  There  was  war  in  heaven 
(whenever  the  devil  seeks  to  destroy  the  saints,  that 
always  means  war).  Michael  and  his  angels  go  forth  to 
war  with  the  dragon  and  his  angels,  and  they  prevail  not. 
The  man-child  was  killed,  but  Satan  prevailed  not — the 
martyr  testimony  makes  other  seed.  The  old  serpent 
was  cast  down  to  the  earth,  and  his  angels  were  cast  down 
with  him. 

"  And  I  heard  a  great  voice  in  heaven  saying :  Now 
is  come  the  salvation  and  the  power  and  the  kingdom 
of  God,  and  the  authority  of  his  Christ;  for  the  accuser 
of  our  brethren  is  cast  down,  who  accuses  them  before 
God  day  and  night,  and  they  [see  the  plural  of  that  man- 
child]  overcame  him  because  of  the  blood  of  the  Lamb, 
and  because  of  the  word  of  their  testimony,  and  they  loved 
not  their  life  even  unto  death."  John  Milton  takes  "  the 
heaven "  here  to  mean  the  home  of  God  and  not  the 
scene  of  this  symbolic  vision,  and,  forgetting  that  this 
imagery  foretells  a  thing  to  occur  in  the  future,  made 
this  war  in  heaven  take  place  before  the  world  was 
created — a  real  fight  between  the  good  and  the  bad  an- 
gels. The  finest  part  of  his  "  Paradise  Lost "  is  his 
description  of  the  war  between  the  angels.  Just  what 
means  were  employed  in  expelling  the  fallen  angels  orig- 
inally I  do  not  know,  but  Michael  here  is  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ  Himself;  his  angels  are  the  angels  we  saw  in 
chapter  iv — ten  thousand  times  ten  thousand  of  thou- 
sands, and  they  are  helping  the  church  here  on  earth. 
The  devil  is  trying  to  destroy  the  church,  and  he  has  the 
power  to  kill  their  bodies,  but  not  their  souls,  and  God's 
angels  from  heaven  help  the  saints  in  their  fight  to  stand 
firm  and  shout  and  sing  and  pray  as  they  die,  so  that  their 
martyr  testimony  will  be  more  powerful  in  making  new 
converts  to  God  than  if  they  had  not  been  martyred. 


xn]  PROPHETIC  FORECASTS  173 

Now,  as  I  said,  the  devil  got  the  bodies  of  the  martyrs, 
but  not  their  souls,  and  he  lost  the  fight. 

Let  us  see  what  becomes  of  the  woman.  The  6th  verse 
says  that  the  woman  fled  into  the  wilderness,  where  she 
had  a  place  prepared  of  God,  where  she  remained  a 
thousand  two  hundred  and  threescore  days,  each  day  a 
year.  That  is  the  same  as  forty-two  symbolic  months. 
Note  again  particularly  that  verses  14-17  are  epexegetical 
of  verse  6.  It  says  that  she  was  given  the  two  wings  of 
a  great  eagle  that  she  might  fly  into  the  wilderness.  The 
great  eagle  here  is  one  of  the  Cherubim.  We  know  that 
every  Cherub  had  one  eagle  face.  This  statement  recalls 
two  Old  Testament  passages :  God  says  to  Moses :  "  Ye 
have  seen  what  I  did  unto  the  Egyptians,  and  how  I 
bore  you  on  eagles'  wings,  and  brought  you  unto  myself." 
And  again  we  have  these  glorious  words :  "  Hast  thou 
not  known?  Hast  thou  not  heard?  The  everlasting 
God,  Jehovah,  the  Creator  of  the  ends  of  the  earth, 
fainteth  not;  neither  is  weary;  there  is  no  searching  of 
his  understanding.  He  giveth  power  to  the  faint ;  and  to 
him  that  hath  no  might  he  increaseth  strength.  Even  the 
youths  shall  faint  and  be  weary,  and  the  young  men  shall 
utterly  fail;  but  they  that  wait  for  Jehovah  shall  renew 
their  strength ;  they  shall  mount  up  with  wings  as  eagles ; 
they  shall  run  and  not  be  weary ;  they  shall  walk  and  not 
faint"  (Isaiah  xl,  28-31).  Cherubim,  eagle- faced,  bore 
the  woman  into  the  wilderness,  where  she  was  nourished 
for  twelve  hundred  and  sixty  years. 

The  15th  verse:  "And  the  serpent  cast  out  of  his 
mouth  water  as  a  river,  that  he  might  cause  her  to  be 
carried  away  with  the  stream."  That  is  a  familiar  Old 
Testament  image,  where  great  wrath  is  compared  to  a 
flushed  river,  an  overflowing  torrent.  The  record  says 
the  earth  helped  the  woman  by  swallowing  up  the  water. 


174.  REVELATION  [xn 

Imagine  what  would  become  of  a  river  turned  loose  in 
a  desert.  It  would  soon  vanish.  But  what  it  means  by 
the  earth  helping  the  woman  is  that  secular  governments 
sometimes  intervene  to  protect  the  rights  of  the  saints 
and  of  the  churches.  For  instance,  in  the  Catholic  part 
of  Germany  it  was  easy  to  destroy  a  martyr,  but  they 
could  not  get  to  him  over  in  the  Protestant  part  of  Ger- 
many. The  earth  over  there  helped  the  woman.  The 
Saxon  king  would  say:  "You  cannot  persecute  here." 
Like  the  grim  old  Black  Douglas,  when  he  started  to  the 
borders  of  England  and  Scotland  to  defend  the  frontier, 
and  the  Catholic  church  was  just  starting  a  persecution, 
said :  "  I  go,  but  the  smell  of  one  burning  fagot  on  the 
Tay  will  bring  me  back  from  the  borders."  That  is  the 
earth  helping  the  woman.  "  And  the  dragon  waxed 
wroth  with  the  woman,  and  he  went  away  to  make  war 
with  the  rest  of  her  seed,  those  that  keep  the  command- 
ments of  God  and  the  testimony  of  Jesus." 

EXAMINATION  QUESTIONS 

1.  What  the  extent  of  this  section? 

2.  What  part  of  it  our  present  lesson? 

3.  What  the  general  purpose  of  the  whole  section? 

4.  Whence   the    imagery? 

5-     Cite   Paul's  use  of  similar  imagery. 

6.  What   the   first  law   of   interpreting   symbols?     Illustrate. 

7.  What  the  description  of  the  first  woman? 

8.  Explain  separately  the  words :  "  sign,"  "  heaven," 
"  woman,"  "  arrayed  with  the  sun,"  "  the  moon  under  her  feet," 
"crown,"   "twelve  stars." 

9.  What  Old  Testament  passage  does  this  vision  recall? 

10.  Where  and  what  the  description  of  the  second  woman? 

11.  What   does   she   represent,   who   established,   and   why? 

12.  What  uses  of  the  word  "church"  were  given  in  the 
lecture  on  Matthew  xvi,  18? 

13.  Explain  xii,  2—"  the  woman  in  travail,"  and  cite  illustra- 
tion   from   Isaiah. 

14.  Verse  3:  (a)  Who  the  dragon;  (b)  meaning  of  seven 
heads,  and  cite  classic  allusion;  (c)  meaning  of  "diadem" 
—Greek     "  diadema " — and     distinguish    between    it    and    the 


xn]  PROPHETIC  FORECASTS  175 

woman's   crown   "Stephanos,"   and  prove  his   real   sovereignty; 
(d)  meaning  of  ten  horns? 

15.  Verse  4:  (a)  Meaning  of  Tail;  (b)  illustrate  the 
power  and  use  of  the  tail  of  a  certain  class  of  reptiles;  (c) 
the  symbolic  meaning  of  tail  in  this  connection;  (d)  meaning 
of  stars  here;  (e)  prove  that  the  drawing  down  of  these 
stars  is  not  a  past  event. 

16.  Verse  5:  (a)  What  the  historic  analogue  which  sug- 
gests the  imagery  of  this  future  event;  (b)  what  part  of  the 
verse  led  Alford  and  most  other  commentators  to  make  this 
man-child  our  Lord  Himself;  (c)  what  preceding  passages 
in  this  book  disprove  the  necessity  of  confining  the  applica- 
tion to  our  Lord;  (d)  what  the  difficulty  of  referring  the 
passage  to  our  Lord;  (e)  how  do  some  commentators  seek 
to  evade  this  difficulty,  and  your  reply  to  them;  (f)  who  the 
man-child  and  the  proof? 

17.  What  great  poet  misinterpreted  the  war  of  verse  7? 

18.  What  this  war?     And  wherein  does  Satan  fail? 

19.  What  verses  of  the  chapter  are  epexegetical  of  verse  6? 

20.  What  the  Old  Testament  analogue  of  the  church  in  the 
wilderness? 

21.  Who  bore  the  woman  in  the  wilderness,  and  what  two 
Old    Testament    passages   are    recalled? 

22.  To  what  the  outgoings  of  Satan's  wrath  against  the 
woman    compared? 

23.  Literally,  what  becomes  of  a  river  in  the  desert? 

24.  Symbolically,  what  is  meant  by  "  the  earth  helped  the 
woman,"  and  illustrate? 


XII 

PROPHETIC  FORECASTS  (continued) 

Revelation  XIII 

IN  the  preceding  chapter,  commencing  the  exposition 
of  this  section,  we  considered  only  chapter  xii.  A 
brief  review  of  the  leading  lines  of  thought  on  that 
chapter  will  help  us  now  to  see  clearly  its  connection  with 
our  present  study,  chapter  xiii. 

We  found  the  radiant  woman  of  xii,  i,  to  be  the  true 
church  established  by  our  Lord,  in  the  sense  of  an  insti- 
tution, appointed  to  enlighten  the  world.  We  found  the 
adversary  of  this  institution  to  be  the  devil,  de  facto  (not 
de  jure)  king  of  this  world  and  prince  of  all  powers  of 
darkness.  We  found  that  the  war  he  waged  against  the 
church  consisted  of  three  distinct  campaigns: 

1.  An  assault  on  the  pastors,  in  which  "his  tail 
draweth  down  a  third  part  of  the  stars  " — i.e.,  a  great 
proportion  of  the  pastors  were  led  astray  into  either 
heresy  or  a  corrupt  life,  Satan  counting  that  as  are  the 
pastors  so  will  be  the  churches.  In  this  campaign,  Satan 
is  defeated  because  he  could  not  corrupt  all  the  preachers; 
the  majority  remained  faithful  to  the  Lord. 

2.  An  assault  by  persecution  unto  death  on  the  progeny 
of  the  church,  i.e.,  her  true  spiritual  children  (xii,  5),  the 
man-child  meaning  not  a  particular  person,  but  standing 
for  the  martyr  class  in  that  greatest  of  all  Pagan  persecu- 
tions in  the  first  half  of  the  third  century;  a  class  and 

176 


xm]  PROPHETIC  FORECASTS  177 

not  a  single  person  being  evident  from  the  more  elaborate 
statement  in  verse  ii,  "  And  they  overcame  him  because 
of  the  blood  of  the  Lamb,  and  because  of  the  word  of 
their  testimony,  and  they  loved  not  their  life,  even  unto 
death."  In  this  terrible  conflict  the  heavenly  powers, 
Christ  and  His  holy  angels,  assisted  the  martyrs  against 
Satan  and  his  demons  assisted  the  persecutor  Pagan 
Rome  (xii,  7).  In  this  campaign  Satan  was  defeated, 
for  he  could  kill  the  body  only  but  not  the  soul  (latter 
clause  of  verse  5),  and  because  "  the  blood  of  the  martyrs 
became  the  seed  of  the  church." 

3.  His  attempt  to  destroy  the  church  as  an  institution 
by  world-wide  proscriptive  legislation,  making  its  assem- 
blings a  capital  penal  offence — notably  by  the  Roman 
Catholic  Emperor  Decius  and  his  successor  in  first  half 
of  third  century.  In  this  campaign  he  was  also  de- 
feated because,  although  the  church  was  driven  into  the 
obscurity  of  the  wilderness,  even  there  she  was  divinely 
kept  alive  and  nourished  (verses  6,  13,  14),  and  children 
of  faith  were  born  unto  her  there.  Even  some  secular 
powers  defended  the  persecuted  institutions  against  the 
swollen  river  of  his  wrath,  "  the  earth  helped  the 
wo*^  ^n  "  (verses  15,  16),  and  so  always  when  the  enemy 
cc;  t5  in  like  a  flood  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord  shall  lift  up 
a  standard  against  him.     (See  Isaiah  lix,  19.) 

Failing  to  destroy  the  church  by  a  partial  corruption 
of  the  ministry,  failing  to  destroy  it  by  martyring  its 
children  of  faith,  since  the  martyrs'  dying  testimony 
made  other  believers,  failing  to  destroy  the  church  as  an 
institution  by  making  its  assemblies  a  penal  offence  un- 
der imperial  Pagan  law,  the  wrath  of  Satan  was  exceed- 
ingly great  and  his  purpose  confirmed  to  wage  war 
against   her   other   seed,   i.e.,   wilderness    seed,   but   by 


178  REVELATION  [xm 

employing  a  different  expedient,  just  what,  this  lesson, 
chapter  xiii,  will  disclose. 

To  further  clarify  this  brief  review  of  Chapter  XI,  these 
additional  observations  are  submitted,  though  but  repe- 
titions : 

I.  While  conceding  and  even  insisting  that  there  was 
a  fall  of  the  angels,  led  by  Satan,  before  man  was 
created  (Jude  6  and  II  Peter  ii,  4),  this  interpretation 
of  "  things  to  come  to  pass  hereafter,"  i.e.,  after  John's 
time,  A.D.  96,  has  no  other  allusion  to  that  ancient  event 
than  this,  that  all  of  his  visions  of  the  future  are  clothed 
in  the  imagery  of  past  historical  events.  Hence  these 
"  stars  "  drawn  down  by  the  dragon's  tail  (verse  4)  mean 
not  the  fallen  angels  seduced  by  him  before  Adam  was 
created,  but  mean  fallen  pastors  seduced  by  him  in  this 
conflict  with  the  church,  following  our  interpretation  of 
the  first  chapter  of  this  book.  And  so  the  war  in  xii,  7, 
was  not,  as  Milton  interpreted  it  in  his  "  Paradise,"  the 
war  which  resulted  in  casting  down  Satan  and  his  demons 
before  Adam's  creation,  as  verse  11  of  that  context  shows. 
But  as  there  is  an  historical  background  which  furnishes 
the  drapery  of  every  vision  of  the  future,  poetic  license 
may  extenuate,  if  not  justify,  Milton's  misinterpretation. 
Just  so,  when  the  seventy  returned  tvitry  jcrvj-eat^g 
"Lord,  even  the  demons  are  subject  unto  us  tiiiuugh 
thy  name,"  and  the  Lord  replies,  "  I  beheld  Satan  fallen 
as  lightning  from  heaven  "  (Luke  x,  17,  18),  He  does  not 
refer  to  Satan's  original  fall,  but  to  his  fall  through  the 
testimony  of  the  seventy.  So  here  he  falls  from  his 
usurped  place  by  the  testimony  of  the  martyrs  (verse  11). 
You  have  only  to  compare  the  great  lesson  in  Matthew 
xii,  28,  29,  where  our  Lord  casts  out  Satan  and  spoils  him 
of  his  goods,  referring  not  to  Satan's  original  overthrow, 
but  to  his  overthrow  from  his  place  of  usurpation. 


xm]  PROPHETIC  FORECASTS  179 

2.  Similarly  we  have  not  followed  Alford  and  most 
commentators  in  making  the  man-child  (verse  5)  mean 
our  Lord  Himself.  We  can  see  how  Romanists  would 
enjoy  this,  since  it  would  make  the  radiant  woman  of 
xii,  I,  to  be  the  Virgin  Mary  and  Queen  of  Heaven.  The 
way  Satan  sought  to  destroy  our  Lord  when  a  child, 
through  Herod's  massacre  at  Bethlehem,  is  indeed  the 
historic  analogue  which  suggests  the  imagery  of  this 
vision  of  a  future  event.  The  authority  given  to  this 
"  man-child  "  in  latter  clause  of  verse  5,  need  not  stagger 
us  when  we  consider  the  promises  already  expounded  at 
ii,  26,  27;  iii,  21,  and  many  later  passages  in  this  book. 
Nor  have  we  accepted  the  weak  evasions  of  other  com- 
mentators, who,  to  avoid  a  difficulty,  make  the  woman  of 
xii,  I,  mean  the  church,  but  a  blended  Old  and  New 
Testament  church,  so  as  to  permit  our  Lord  to  be  born 
of  the  church.  There  is  no  such  church.  And  our  Lord 
is  the  founder  and  head  of  the  church,  not  its  son. 

3.  Our  interpretation  makes  7-12  epexegetical  of 
the  war  on  the  man-child,  latter  clause  of  verse  4  and 
verse  5 ;  and  verses  13-17  epexegetical  of  verse  6. 

4.  Our  interpretation  makes  the  numbers  "  forty-two 
months  "  in  xi,  2,  and  xiii,  5,  and  the  "  1260  days  "  of 
xi,  3,  xii,  6,  and  the  "  time,  times  and  half-time "  of 
xii,  14,  all  mean  the  same  thing — i.e.,  1260  years,  which 
delimits  the  wilderness  period  of  the  church,  commencing 
about  A.D.  250,  and  extending  to  a.d.  15 10. 

With  this  clarifying  view  of  chapter  xii,  we  are  now 
prepared  to  undertake  the  exposition  of  chapter  xiii,  and 
particularly  to  see  the  connection  between  them.  Chap- 
ter xii  left  the  church  in  the  wilderness,  a.d.  250,  to  re- 
main there  1260  years  bearing  "  other  seed,"  and  left 
Satan  exceedingly  angry  at  his  failure  to  destroy  it  by 
the  persecution  of   Pagan   Rome,  and  devising  in  his 


180  REVELATION  [xin 

wrath  some  other  method  of  continuing  the  war.  This 
chapter,  our  present  lesson,  gives  his  new  device,  which, 
in  a  few  words,  is  the  estabHshment  of  a  counterfeit 
church.  This  counterfeit  church,  while  changing  the 
names  of  its  objects  of  worship,  will  have  more  of  them 
than  heathen  polytheism  ever  assembled  on  Mount  Olym- 
pus, and  whose  images  are  more  numerous  than  all  ever 
placed  in  a  heathen  pantheon.  It  will  have  more  perse- 
cuting powers  than  Pagan  Rome,  and  the  power  this  time 
will  extend  beyond  the  grave.  Out  of  the  ruins  of  the 
Pagan  Roman  Empire  it  will  construct  a  more  formi- 
dable "  Holy  Roman  Empire,"  whose  boundaries  will  be 
pushed  far  beyond  the  limits  of  Pagan  Roman  territory. 
While  the  Caesar  head  of  Pagan  Rome  was  wounded  unto 
death,  the  wound  will  be  healed  by  a  Papal  head.  There 
were  only  twelve  Caesars — there  will  be  a  multitude  of 
Popes,  among  them  a  Pope  and  his  son  Caesar  Borgia 
worse  than  Nero.  By  using  Pagan  Rome  as  his  tail  the 
great  red  dragon  was  able  to  draw  down  to  earth  only  a 
third  of  the  stars,  i.e.,  to  corrupt  only  one-third  of  the 
ministry,  but  with  Papal  Rome  as  his  tail  this  Scriptural 
crocodile  will  sweep  down  into  his  Nile  for  devouring 
the  overwhelming  majority  of  the  ministry. 

This  device  of  Satan,  in  its  ultimate  proportions,  will 
not  be  a  mushroom  product,  nor  an  Aladdin  palace 
springing  up  in  a  night,  but  a  steady  development  of  the 
centuries,  a  ceaseless  evolution  by  accretion  of  the  ages. 
All  the  seven  wonders  of  the  classic  world  will  pale  into 
insignificance  before  this  prodigy — Satan's  great  master- 
piece. The  statue  of  its  Pope  will  cast  a  longer  shadow 
than  Jupiter's  on  Mount  Olympus ;  its  temple  will  surpass 
Diana's  at  Ephesus.  This  colossus  will  outstraddle  the 
bronze  pigmy  at  Rhodes.  Its  pyramid  will  exceed  that 
of  Cheops  on  the  Nile,  and  its  Sphinx  will  not  be  dumb; 


xin]  PROPHETIC  FORECASTS  181 

the  lighthouse  at  Pharos,  near  Alexandria,  revealed  a 
port  of  entry  to  storm-tossed  little  Mediterranean  ships — 
but  this  in  the  name  of  a  lighthouse,  will  diffuse  dark- 
ness on  a  thousand  rock-bound  ocean  shores,  that  mighty 
liners  may  grind  their  keels  and  ribs  of  steel  into  the 
fine  powder  of  total  shipwreck.  In  the  days  of  Pericles 
classic  art  embellished  the  Acropolis  at  Athens,  but  this 
acropolis  will  exhaust  for  centuries  the  skill  of  sub- 
servient architects,  painters  and  sculptors.  The  Mauso- 
leum at  Halicarnassus  held  the  dust  of  only  one  honoured 
king;  this  mausoleum  will  hold  the  dust  of  many  dis- 
honoured kings  and  statesmen. 

But,  let  us  turn  from  rhetoric  to  detailed  exposition : 
xiii,  I — the  Common  Version  reads :  "  And  /  stood 
upon  the  sand  of  the  sea."  Our  revision  corrects  the 
misleading  pronoun :  "  And  he  stood  upon  the  sands  of  the 
sea  " — he,  the  dragon  of  the  preceding  verse,  mad  at  his 
failure  in  employing  Pagan  persecution.  Why  stood  he  at 
the  sea  ?  "  Sea  "  in  this  book  means  the  peoples,  or  con- 
fluent materials  of  nations  (xvii,  15).  Satan  is  contem- 
plating the  heterogeneous  national  material  disintegrated 
by  the  fall  of  Pagan  Rome,  and  calculating  a  reconstruc- 
tion more  efficient  for  his  purpose  than  Pagan  Rome. 
He  is  the  usurping  de  facto  king  of  the  nations.  He  re- 
calls a  temptation  once  offered  to  our  Lord :  "  All  the 
kingdoms  of  the  world,  and  the  glory  of  them,  will  I  give 
thee  if  thou  wilt  fall  down  and  worship  me."  (Matthew 
iv,  8-10.)  Our  Lord  rejected  it.  Satan  knew  also  that 
the  radiant  woman  of  xii,  i,  the  true  church,  would 
reject  it,  even  to  escape  the  wilderness.  But  he  argues: 
Why  not  I  establish  a  counterfeit  church  that  will  accept 
it  on  my  conditions?  And  so  John  the  seer  is  enabled 
to  witness  the  method  of  his  work. 

*'And   I   saw  a   beast   coming  up  out   of   the   sea." 


182  REVELATION  [xin 

"Beast"  in  this  book,  as  in  Daniel  vii,  i-8  (which  see), 
means  a  king  or  government.  And  follows  a  description 
of  this  sea-beast,  which  wars  against  the  saints  and  has 
authority  for  1260  years — all  the  wilderness  period  of 
the  church,  i.e.,  up  to  the  Reformation,  when  its  power 
wanes  until  re-animated  by  the  earth-beast  (verses  11, 
12).  We  may  not  attempt  to  interpret  this  vision  except 
in  the  light  of  Daniel  vii,  19-25,  and  Revelation  xvii.  7-18. 
The  whole  passage  seems  to  teach  the  transition  from  a 
Pagan  Roman  Empire  to  a  so-called  "  Holy  Roman  Em- 
pire." That  is,  commencing  with  the  Emperor  Con- 
stantine,  there  came  about  first  a  union  of  church  and 
state,  with  the  state  at  first  on  top,  followed  later  by 
the  church  on  top.  Constantine  might  claim  that  he  was 
the  head  of  the  church,  but  gradually  the  Pope  became 
the  head  of  both  state  and  church.  In  the  order  of  his- 
tory the  spotted  beast — church  and  state — would  precede 
the  earth-beast,  looking  like  a  lamb,  but  having  the  voice 
of  a  dragon,  representing  the  Papacy.  The  idea  of  the 
Pope's  universal  supremacy  would  be  a  gradual  develop- 
ment, which  in  all  its  fulness  was  not  attained  until  the 
Vatican  Council  in  1870.  A  universal  visible  church, 
united  with  the  state  and  dominant  over  the  state,  natu- 
rally receives  its  consummation  in  an  earthly,  visible  and 
infallible  head.  So  the  leopard  sea-beast  would  repre- 
sent a  political-religious  world-empire,  and  the  earth- 
beast  of  verse  1 1  would  represent  the  Papal  head  of  this 
empire,  galvanizing  it  into  at  least  a  semblance  of  life 
after  its  political  life  was  broken,  by  his  infallible  "  ipse 
dixit." 

In  a  union  of  church  and  state  two  results  always  foU 
low:  A  quarrel  concerning  ultimate  authority:  shall  the 
state  dominate  the  church,  or  the  church  dominate  the 
state?    No  matter  which  dominates,  there  is  sure  to  be 


xra]  PROPHETIC  FORECASTS  183 

persecution  of  those  who  claim  liberty  to  worship  God 
according  to  the  dictates  of  the  individual.  Where  a 
church  claims  to  be  universal,  with  ultimate  jurisdiction 
over  all  states,  there  will  certainly  be  a  revolt  of  states 
against  the  church. 

Thirteenth  chapter;  first  clause  of  the  ist  verse: 
"  And  I  saw  a  beast  coming  up  out  of  the  sea,  having 
ten  horns  and  seven  heads,  and  on  his  horns  ten  dia- 
dems, and  upon  his  heads  names  of  blasphemy."  If  you 
turn  to  the  description  of  the  dragon  in  your  last  lesson, 
you  will  see  both  a  likeness  and  an  unlikeness :  "  I  saw 
a  great  red  dragon  having  seven  heads  and  ten  horns, 
and  upon  his  heads  seven  diadems."  Here  the  diadems 
on  this  beast  are  on  his  horns.  The  likeness  arises  from 
the  fact  that  the  government  created  by  the  dragon  will 
resemble  the  dragon;  and  the  unlikeness  will  arise  from 
the  fact  that  the  horns,  signifying  power,  will  be  different 
because  the  first  was  wholly  spiritual,  and  the  second 
will  be  secular. 

What  do  the  seven  heads  mean  ?  "I  saw  a  beast  come 
up  out  of  the  sea,  having  ten  horns  and  seven  heads  " — 
suppose  you  turn  with  me  to  the  seventeenth  chapter,  it 
will  give  us  God's  explanation.  9th  verse :  "  The  seven 
heads  are  seven  mountains  on  which  the  woman  sitteth  " 
— that  looks  like  it  means  the  seven  hills  on  which  Rome 
was  built,  to  which  there  may  be  a  remote  allusion;  but 
let  us  go  on  and  read  a  little  further :  "  And  they  are 
[that  is,  they  represent]  seven  kings  [or  better,  seven 
kingdoms],  five  are  fallen,  one  is,  and  the  other  is  yet 
to  come,  and  when  he  cometh  he  must  continue  a  little 
while."  Now,  when  we  take  Daniel  and  Revelation  to- 
gether, we  understand  these  seven  world-empires — the 
kingdoms  that  oppose  the  Kingdom  of  God  in  every  age. 
First,  the  Egyptians;  they  wanted  to  destroy  Israel  or 


184y  REVELATION  [xin 

keep  it  in  bondage.  The  second  was  Assyria,  with  its 
capital  at  Nineveh,  that  destroyed  the  ten  tribes.  These 
two  had  passed  away  before  Daniel  wrote,  and  hence  he 
does  not  discuss  them.  When  John  comes  to  write  five 
are  fallen,  so  we  must  add  three  more  to  the  two  that 
had  fallen  when  Daniel  wrote.  These  three  were  Baby- 
lon, which  captured  Judah;  Persia,  which,  at  Haman's 
suggestion,  was  about  to  destroy  the  Jewish  exiles;  and 
Greece,  which,  particularly  under  Antiochus  Epiphanes, 
sought  to  destroy  utterly  the  religion  of  the  Jews. 
Daniel  saw  four:  Babylon,  Persia,  Greece  and  Rome. 
Now,  when  John  wrote,  five  of  these  world-empires  had 
passed  away,  and  the  sixth,  the  Roman  Empire,  is  the 
one  which  will  destroy  Jerusalem  and  is  now  persecuting 
under  Domitian.  When  John  wrote  it  was  still  in  great 
power.  The  seventh  would  be  this  spotted  beast  that 
this  lesson  is  discussing — the  Holy  Roman  Empire,  and 
hence  we  can  understand  how  the  eighth  (xiii,  ii)  is  not 
a  nation,  but  is  of  the  seventh.  The  eighth  is  the  Papacy, 
not  a  nation,  but  is  of  the  seventh  and  has  the  power  of 
the  seventh.  Now,  do  you  get  that  point  clear?  That 
there  is  a  likeness  in  every  great  world-empire  that  wars 
against  the  Kingdom  of  God — a  persecuting  likeness  and 
a  blaspheming  likeness.  Every  one  of  these  assumed 
divine  as  well  as  human  power,  from  Egypt  to  Rome. 
The  emperor  claimed  to  be  Pontifex  Maximus — that  is, 
high  priest  of  the  religion  of  the  nation,  and  also  claimed 
to  be  God,  demanding  to  be  worshipped.  The  image  of 
Caesar  was  put  up  on  their  standards,  and  when  the 
legions  would  wake  up  in  the  morning  the  first  thing 
to  do  would  be  to  bow  down  and  worship  the  image  of 
Caesar  on  the  standard. 

Now,  this  last  beast  is  represented  as  having  seven 
heads.     That  is,  it  blends  all  the  evils  of  the  six  preceding 


xra]  PROPHETIC  FORECASTS  185 

world-powers,  and  itself  will  be  the  seventh.  What  are 
the  ten  horns?  The  seventeenth  chapter  will  tell  you 
(i2th  verse):  "And  the  ten  horns  that  thou  seest  are 
the  ten  kings  that  have  received  no  kingdoms  yet."  That 
is,  the  ten  kingdoms  that  were  to  be  built  up  out  of 
Pagan  Rome  were  not  yet  established ;  he  is  looking  into 
the  future  and  sees  them,  but  they  are  not  yet.  I  ask 
you  particularly  to  notice  these  ten  horns  and  the  ten 
kingdoms.  They  support  the  woman  in  purple  and 
scarlet  (xvii,  13)  and  these  ten  kingdoms  give  their 
power  and  authority  unto  the  beast — every  one  of  the 
ten  kingdoms  that  were  established  out  of  the  ruins  of 
the  Pagan  Roman  Empire  and  constitute  the  Holy  Roman 
Empire  championed  the  Roman  Catholic  religion. 

But  look  at  the  i6th  verse:  "  And  the  ten  horns  which 
thou  seest  on  the  beast,  these  shall  hate  the  harlot  and 
make  her  desolate  and  naked,  and  shall  eat  her  flesh  and 
burn  her  with  fire."  That  means  that  in  later  history 
these  ten  governments  in  succession  would  become  the 
oppressors  of  the  Roman  Catholic  church,  as  France 
threw  off  its  allegiance,  and  as  did  Germany,  and  later 
Holland,  Switzerland,  all  Scandinavia, — i.e.,  Denmark, 
Norway,  Sweden, — and  England,  Scotland  and  Wales, 
and  turned  their  powers  against  this  great  whore  that  rep- 
resents the  Roman  Catholic  church,  and  finally  Italy  itself, 
when  Victor  Emmanuel  led  his  army  into  Rome  and  de- 
stroyed the  temporal  power  of  the  Pope,  and  carried  an 
open  Bible  at  the  head  of  his  entrance  column.  You 
thus  see  what  the  ten  kings,  or  ten  horns,  mean. 

We  now  come  to  the  description  of  this  beast  (2d 
verse)  :  "  And  the  beast  that  I  saw  was  like  unto  a 
leopard,  and  his  feet  were  as  the  feet  of  a  bear,  and  his 
mouth  was  as  the  mouth  of  a  lion.  And  the  dragon  gave 
him  his  power  and  his  throne  and  great  authority."     If 


186  REVELATION  [xra 

you  turn  back  to  that  seventh  chapter  of  Daniel,  you  will 
notice  that  this  beast  combines  the  elements  of  the  four 
beasts  of  his  vision.  The  predominating  quality  here 
is  the  leopard;  i.e.,  the  beast  had  the  leopard's  form. 
Which  means  it  was  a  spotted  government,  a  mixed 
government,  it  was  a  politico-religious  government. 
That  is  the  reason  the  leopard  predominates — it  is  a 
spotted  beast. 

3d  verse :  "  And  I  saw  one  of  his  heads  as  though 
it  had  been  smitten  unto  death " — that  is,  the  Pagan 
Roman  head,  yet  further  when  John  writes — "  and  I  saw 
that  one  head  was  smitten  to  death  and  his  death  stroke 
was  healed."  In  other  words,  succeeding  Pagan  Rome 
came  Papal  Rome.  The  centre  of  authority  is  still  in 
the  city  of  Rome,  the  governing  power  still  goes  out 
from  that  centre,  but  the  Caesar  head  dies  in  the  destruc- 
tion of  Pagan  Rome,  and  the  Pope  head  comes  in  the 
place  of  it. 

Last  of  the  3d  verse :  "  And  the  whole  earth  won- 
dered after  the  beast  " — well,  it  was  a  prodigy ;  there 
had  never  been  anything  just  like  it.  It  was  not  like 
Pagan  Rome  in  this,  that  there  were  ten  kingdoms  united 
on  their  religion,  but  divided  in  their  civil  authority,  until 
the  Pope  usurped  the  civil  as  well  as  the  religious  au- 
thority. So  it  was  the  strangest  beast  ever  seen.  "  And 
they  worshipped  the  dragon  because  he  gave  his  au- 
thority unto  the  beast,  and  they  worshipped  the  beast, 
saying:  Who  is  like  unto  the  beast,  who  is  able  to  war 
with  him?"  For  many  centuries  of  the  1260  years  no 
nation  in  Europe  was  able  to  war  with  the  power  repre- 
sented by  the  Pope. 

"  And  there  was  given  to  him  a  mouth,  speaking  great 
things  and  blasphemies,  and  there  was  given  to  him 
authority  to  continue  forty-two  months"  (rather,  to  do 


xm]  PROPHETIC  FORECASTS  187 

his  work;  the  Greek  word  shows  not  so  much  the  idea  of 
continuance  as  abiHty  to  do  his  work.  He  continued 
after  the  1260  years,  but  without  ability  to  do  as  before). 
He  still  claims  the  same  authority,  but  he  cannot  do  his 
work  like  he  did  up  to  that  time.  "  And  he  opened  his 
mouth  for  blasphemies  against  God,  to  blaspheme  his 
name,  and  his  tabernacle  [that  is,  his  church],  even  they 
that  dwell  in  heaven  [that  is,  the  true  saints],  and  it  was 
given  to  him  to  make  war  with  the  saints  to  overcome 
them.  And  it  was  given  him  authority  over  every  tribe 
and  people  and  tongue  and  nation  [he  was  permitted  to 
make  such  claim],  and  all  that  dwell  on  the  earth  shall 
worship  him  [note  the  exception] ,  every  one  whose  name 
hath  not  been  written  on  the  Lamb's  book  of  life." 
These,  the  true  people  of  God,  did  not  worship  him — all 
over  Europe  there  were  people  who  refused  to  submit, 
even  unto  death.  They  were  true  candlesticks,  but  shin- 
ing in  the  wilderness.  Human  history  does  not  take 
much  notice  of  them.  There  were  true  preachers,  though 
by  using  this  new  kind  of  tail  the  dragon  swept  down  the 
most  of  the  stars. 

loth  verse,  last  clause :  "  Here  is  the  patience  and 
faith  of  the  saints."  In  the  fourteenth  chapter,  and  12th 
verse,  we  have  this  language  repeated  in  another  sense: 
"  Here  is  the  patience  of  the  saints."  Here  it  means  the 
patience  of  the  saints  in  enduring  the  trials  by  faith. 
The  next  time  it  means  the  fruition  of  patience :  I  will 
call  your  attention  to  it  again  in  a  subsequent  chap- 
ter. 

We  now  come  to  a  description  which  shows  that  the 
Papacy  does  not  come  out  of  the  sea — that  is,  it  is  not  a 
nation :  "  And  I  saw  another  beast  coming  up  out  of  the 
earth,  and  it  had  two  horns  like  a  lamb  but  spoke  as  a 
dragon."     It  claimed  to  be  a  lamb  but  it  was  a  dragon. 


188  REVELATION  [xin 

Now,  when  you  turn  to  the  seventh  chapter  of  Daniel, 
he  says :  "  I  saw  a  little  horn  come  up  that  destroyed 
three  of  the  other  horns  " — so  the  Pope  usurped  the  civil 
jurisdiction  of  several  of  the  states,  and  claimed  them  as 
Papal  states  and  was  king  over  them.  That  little  horn 
in  Daniel's  fourth  beast  and  this  two-horned  beast  here 
that  has  the  voice  of  the  dragon  and  that  claimed  to  be 
a  lamb,  and  the  false  prophet  in  the  nineteenth  chapter 
as  being  cast  into  the  abyss  with  the  beast,  all  mean  the 
same  thing;  the  little  horn,  the  lamb-dragon  beast,  and 
the  false  prophet  all  mean  the  Papacy :  Pope  comes  from 
"  papa,"  or  father,  hence  papacy.  It  is  not  a  nation 
and  hence  is  represented  as  coming  up  out  of  the  earth, 
and  yet  he  is  the  eighth  government,  rising  out  of  the 
seven  governments,  or  beasts.  We  see  that  he  is  the  one 
that  heals  the  death  stroke  of  the  sixth  head;  when  the 
Caesar  head  dies,  the  Pope  head  succeeds.  There  is  at- 
tributed to  him,  in  the  rest  of  this  lesson,  great  miracle- 
working  power.  John  does  not  affirm  that  these  were 
real  miracles — he  reports  as  he  sees ;  he  saw  a  vision  of 
the  Pope  giving  the  beast  the  power  of  miracles  of  dif- 
ferent kinds.  It  is  characteristic  of  Roman  Catholi- 
cism that  from  the  beginning  of  its  history  down  to  the 
present  time  it  is  brimful  of  so-called  miracles;  its 
images  are  made  to  speak,  or  weep,  or  bleed. 

Turn  to  the  i6th  verse:  "  And  he  causeth  all,  the  small 
and  the  great,  and  the  rich  and  the  poor,  the  free  and 
the  bond,  that  they  be  given  a  mark  on  their  right  hand, 
and  upon  their  forehead."  Many  have  tried  to  explain 
what  is  the  mark  of  the  beast  given  by  this  Pope.  One 
old  Baptist  preacher  insists  that  it  was  infant  baptism, 
followed  by  a  sign  of  the  cross  made  on  the  forehead. 
Your  lesson  tells  you  (verse  17)  that  "  the  mark  is  the 
name  of  the  beast  or  the  number  of  his  name."    And 


xm]      PROPHETIC  FORECASTS       189 

adds :  "  Here  is  wisdom.  He  that  hath  understanding 
let  him  count  the  number  of  the  beast ;  for  it  is  the  num- 
ber of  a  man ;  and  his  number  is  six  hundred  and  sixty- 
six."  Whoever  can  interpret  this  knows  what  is  "  the 
mark."  No  better  explanation  of  this  passage  has  been 
given  than  that  of  Irenseus.  The  first  Roman  ruler  was 
Latinus.  His  name  spelled  in  Greek  is  Lateinos.  Greek 
letters  are  numerals,  each  letter  standing  for  a  certain 
number.  Thus :  L-a-t-e-i-n-o-s.  I  give  you  English 
letters  corresponding  to  the  Greek  because  some  of  you 
do  not  know  Greek. 


L  (Greek,  Lantdd)  =      ^o  n  (Greek,  Nu)              =  50 

a  (Greek,  Alpha)  =        i  ^  (Greek,  Oinikron)     =  70 

!<-^^^  '  Jl"  r  —    300  ^    (Greek,  Sigma)        =  200 

e   (Greek,  Epstlon)  =5                                                     

i   (Greek,  Iota)  =      10                Total 666 


These  Greek  letters  when  used  as  numerals  are  equal 
to  the  numbers  opposite  and  their  added  total  is  666. 
Here,  then,  is  the  number  of  the  beast  and  it  is  the  num- 
ber of  a  man,  and  it  is  666. 

The  mark  of  the  beast  then  is  the  word  "  Latin."  On 
which  Alford  observes :  "  The  Latin  Empire,  the  Latin 
church,  Latin  Christianity,  have  ever  been  its  commonly 
current  appellations ;  its  language,  civil  and  ecclesias- 
tical, has  ever  been  Latin ;  its  public  services,  in  defiance 
of  the  most  obvious  requisite  for  public  worship,  have 
ever  been  throughout  the  world  conducted  in  Latin ;  there 
is  no  other  one  word  which  could  so  completely  describe 
its  character,  and  at  the  same  time  unite  the  ancient  and 
modern  attributes  of  the  two  beasts."  Alford  might 
have  added:  No  version  of  the  Scriptures  considered 
authoritative  except  the  Latin  Version  and  that  only  as 


190  REVELATION  [xm 

interpreted  by  the  Latin  Church.  Irenaeus  had  in  mind 
the  Pagan  Latin  Empire,  Alford  more  wisely  its  transi- 
tion into  the  Papal  Latin  Empire. 


EXAMINATION  QUESTIONS 

1.  State  the  three  distinct  assaults  of  Satan  in  trying  to 
destroy  the  church  as  an  institution,  and  wherein  he  failed  in 
each  case. 

2.  Was  there  a  real  fall  of  Satan  and  his  angels  before  the 
fall  of  Adam?  If  so,  prove  it  Scripturally  and  then  show  the 
relation  of  that  ancient  history  to  the  imagery  of  the  future 
events  in  chapter  xii. 

3.  Show  the  relation  of  Satan's  assaults  on  the  infant  Jesus 
to  the  imagery  of  the  man-child  in  chapter  xii. 

4.  Show  what  verses  of  chapter  xii  are  epexegetical  of 
other  verses. 

5.  What  symbolical  numbers  of  xi,  xii,  xiii  are  equal  to  each 
other? 

6.  About  what  date  did  the  church  enter  the  wilderness,  on 
account  of  what  persecution,  and  about  what  date  did  it  emerge? 

Questions  on  Chapter  XII 

7.  Verse  i:  meaning  "He  stood  on  the  sand  and  the  sea"? 

8.  In  a  few  words,  tell  what  the  new  device  of  Satan  as  an 
instrument  of  war  against  the  church. 

9.  Show  how  this  new  device  will  have  more  idolatry  than 
Pagan  Rome,  more  persecuting  power,  a  more  formidable  head 
than  the   Cassar  of  Rome,  and  corrupt  more  preachers. 

10.  Show  how  it  will  be  more  wonderful  than  each  of  the 
seven  wonders  of  the  classical  world. 

11.  What  passage  of  Scripture  enables  us  to  interpret  the 
leopard  of  xiii,  i;  the  lamb-dragon  beast  of  xiii,  11,  and  the 
harlot   woman   of   xvii,    1-6? 

12.  In  the  light  of  these  scriptures  what  the  leopard  beast? 
And  the  nature  of  it? 

13.  What  the  lamb-dragon  beast? 

14.  What  the  harlot? 

15.  What  the  expression  in  Daniel  vii,  and  what  other  ex- 
pression in  chapter  xix  of  this  book,  mean  the  same  thing  as 
the  lamb-dragon  beast? 

16.  What  two  results  always  follow  a  union  of  church  and 
state? 

17.  Explain  in  verse  2  the  wounding  of  one  head  unto  death, 
and  the  healing  of  the  wound. 

18.  What  the  real  meaning  of  the  Greek  word  rendered 
"  continue  "   in   verse  5  ? 


xra]  PROPHETIC  FORECASTS  191 

19.  (a)  What  the  diflFerence  between  the  common  version 
and  the  Revised  Version  rendering  of  verse  8?  (b)  if  com- 
mon version  is  right,  what  the  meaning?  (c)  if  Revised  Ver- 
sion is  right?     Which  do  you  prefer? 

20.  What  the  meaning  of  verse   17? 

21.  What  "  the  mark  of  the  beast,"  verse  16,  as  explained  in 
verse  18,  and  the  exposition  thereof  by  Irenseus  and  Alford? 


XIII 

PROPHETIC  FORECASTS  (continued) 

Revelation  XIV 

THE  preceding  chapter  will  be  reviewed  only  this 
much : 
I.  Satan,  considering  the  chaotic  and  disinte- 
grated national  material  of  the  fallen  Pagan  Roman  Em- 
pire, reconstructed  another  Roman  Empire,  composed  of 
many  states,  each  with  its  own  national  government,  but 
united  in  its  religion.  This  was  a  union  of  church  and 
state — sometimes  the  state  exercising  jurisdiction  over 
the  church,  demanding  universal  conformity  in  religion 
as  the  ruler  of  the  state  understood  it ;  and  sometimes  the 
church  dominating  the  state  with  a  tendency  toward  ab- 
solute church  supremacy  in  both  civil  and  ecclesiastical 
matters.  Until  the  church  pressed  the  state  too  far  in 
local  state  affairs,  they  gave  their  power  and  authority 
to  the  church ;  but  when  the  pressure  became  intolerable 
the  state  would  rend  the  church. 

As  the  states  succeeded  in  their  revolt  against  the 
assumption  of  the  church  authority  over  state  matters, 
their  maxim  would  yet  be :  "  Whose  is  the  government 
his  is  the  religion  " — i.e.,  the  head  of  each  state  will  be- 
come the  head  of  the  church  in  his  own  domain,  proscrib- 
ing all  dissent  from  his  own  religion.  This  maxim  was 
later  maintained  by  Protestant  states  as  well  as  by  Papal 
states;  by  Geneva  and  Henry  V'lII,  as  well  as  by 
Philip  of  Spain  and  Louis  XIV  of  France. 

192 


xiv]  PROPHETIC  FORECASTS  193 

2.  This  strange  empire,  called  later  "  The  Holy  Roman 
Empire,"  is  symbolized  by  the  leopard-beast  of  xiii,  i,  2. 

3.  The  ecclesiastical  head,  which  ultimately  assumed 
absolute  jurisdiction  over  all  states  and  all  religions — in 
other  words,  the  Papacy  or  succession  of  Popes — is  sym- 
bolized by  the  earth-htSLSt  that  looked  like  a  lamb  but  had 
the  voice  of  the  dragon — xiii,  11, 

4.  The  counterfeit  church  as  an  institution  of  which 
the  Pope  was  the  head  is  symbolized  by  the  harlot  sitting 
on  or  riding  the  leopard-beast — xvii,  1-6. 

5.  The  Scriptural  passages  governing  this  interpreta- 
tion  are   Daniel   vii,    7-25,    and    Revelation   xvii,   7-18. 

6.  This  interpretation  identifies  the  Papal  beast  of 
xiii,  II,  with  "  the  little  horn  "  of  Daniel  vii,  8,  and  with 
the  false  prophet  of  Revelation  xix,  20. 

7.  The  reader  must  understand  that  the  transition  from 
Pagan  Rome  to  "  The  Holy  Roman  Empire "  was 
gradual,  marked  by  successive  changes,  and  that  the 
Papacy  developed  from  small  beginnings  to  its  culmina- 
tion at  the  Vatican  Council  in  1870  in  the  declaration  of 
Papal  infallibility.  And  that  the  Roman  Catholic  hier- 
archy, imaged  by  the  harlot  of  xvii,  1-6,  was  also  a  de- 
velopment of  the  centuries. 

Having  thus  considered  Satan's  new  device  for  de- 
stroying Christ's  luminous  institution,  and  for  corrupting 
the  ministry,  and  for  perverting  the  gospel,  we  will  in 
chapter  xiv  consider  the  spiritual  forces  aligned  on  the 
other  side. 

Chapter  xiv  is  divided  into  four  parts : 

Part  I — The  Lamb,  His  true  church,  the  holy  angels 
and  His  people — (xiv,  1-5). 

Part  H — The  proclamation  of  the  three  angels — (xiv, 

6-13)- 

Part  HI — The  harvest  of  the  good — (xiv,  14-16). 


194.  REVELATION  [xiv 

Part  IV — The  vintage  of  the  evil — (xiv,  14-20). 

The  chief  purpose  of  chapter  xiv  is  to  give  a  summary 
of  Christ's  victory  over  Satan,  and  of  the  final  and  com- 
plete victory  of  the  true  church  over  the  counterfeit.  I 
say  a  summary — a  bare  outline — whose  methods  and  de- 
tails are  set  forth  elaborately  in  all  the  rest  of  the  sec- 
tion— i.e.,  from  xv,  i,  to  xix,  10. 

Then  from  another  viewpoint  other  details  of  chapter 
xiv  outline  will  be  given  in  the  last  synchronous  view 
from  xix,  11,  to  xx,  6,  though  in  this  case  the  view  ex- 
tends somewhat  beyond  anything  clearly  suggested  in 
this  outline.  It  is  important  to  note  this  relation  of 
chapter  xiv  to  subsequent  chapters — a  relation  of  outline 
to  details. 

PART  ONE 

(xiv,  1-5)  "  And  I  saw,  and  behold,  the  Lamb  standing 
on  Mount  Zion  and  with  him  an  hundred  forty  and  four 
thousand,  having  his  name  and  the  name  of  his  Father 
written  on  their  foreheads.  And  I  heard  a  voice  from 
heaven,  as  the  voice  of  many  waters,  and  as  the  voice 
of  a  great  thunder ;  and  the  voice  which  I  heard  was  as 
the  voice  of  harpers  harping  on  their  harps :  And  they 
sing  as  it  were  a  new  song  before  the  throne  and  before 
the  four  living  creatures  and  the  elders,  and  no  man 
could  learn  the  song  save  the  hundred  and  forty  and  four 
thousand,  even  they  that  had  been  purchased  out  of  the 
earth.  These  are  they  that  were  not  defiled  of  women ; 
for  they  are  virgins.  These  are  they  that  follow  the 
Lamb  whithersoever  he  goeth.  These  were  purchased 
from  among  men,  to  be  the  firstfruits  unto  God  and  unto 
the  Lamb.  And  in  their  mouth  was  found  no  lie;  they 
were  without  blemish." 

As  chapter  xiii  gave  us  a  view  of  Satan,  his  beasts, 


xiv]  PROPHETIC  FORECASTS  195 

his  seat  of  empire  the  counterfeit  church,  his  counterfeit 
gospel,  his  worshippers  and  the  character  of  their  worship, 
this  vision  opens  with  a  view  of  our  Lord,  as  the  "  Lamb," 
His  seat  of  power  "  Mount  Zion  " — i.e.,  the  true  church— 
His  worshippers,  their  secure  redemption,  their  character, 
and  the  nature  of  their  worship. 

It  is  of  great  importance  that  we  interpret  these  sym- 
bols not  literally,  but  according  to  the  law  of  symbols, 
what  they  represent.  "  The  Lamb  "  is  not  a  real  sheep, 
but  symbolizes  our  Lord  as  the  expiating  sacrifice  for  sin. 
Without  expiation  and  atonement  for  sin  Satan's  power 
over  sinners  cannot  be  broken,  nor  can  these  sinners 
otherwise  be  redeemed  nor  made  secure  in  their  redemp- 
tion, nor  appear  clean  in  God's  sight.  "  Mount  Zion  " 
here  is  not  the  real  mountain  in  Jerusalem,  nor  the  heav- 
enly Jerusalem  of  chapters  xxi  and  xxii,  but  the  militant 
Mount  Zion — that  is,  the  true  church  on  earth  consid- 
ered as  an  institution — in  other  words,  the  radiant  woman 
of  xii,  I.  So  the  hundred  and  forty-four  thousand  num- 
bers His  people  symbolically,  not  literally,  but  represen- 
tatively. It  is  a  perfect  multiple  of  the  sacred  12,  many 
times  appearing  in  this  book — twelve  tribes,  twelve  stars, 
twelve  apostles,  twelve  foundations,  twenty-four  elders — 
i.e.,  twice  twelve.  There  is,  however,  this  difference  be- 
tween the  application  of  the  hundred  and  forty-four 
thousand  here  (xiv,  i)  and  its  re-appearance  in  xvii,  8. 
Here  it  represents  the  spiritual  Israel  without  regard  to 
nationality;  there  it  represents  the  elect  Jews  as  contra- 
distinguished from  the  saved  of  other  nations,  as  the 
context  shows. 

As  Satan's  followers  bore  on  their  forehead  and  hand 
a  symbolic  brand,  so  here  on  the  forehead  of  Christ's  peo- 
ple are  symbolically  written  the  names  of  the  Lamb  and 
of  His  Father.    In  both  cases  the  marks  are  symbols 


196  REVELATION  [xiv 

not  of  character,  as  many  commentators  would  have  it, 
but  of  ownership.  One  class  the  devil  owns — the  other 
class  belongs  to  God.  West  Texans  will  understand,  for 
they,  in  riding  the  range,  recognize  that  the  different 
brands  on  cattle  do  not  refer  to  the  quality  of  the  cattle 
— i.e.,  whether  long-horns,  short-horns,  Durhams,  Jer- 
seys, Holsteins,  or  Herefords — but  indicate  the  owner. 

The  singers  and  harpers  of  the  new  song,  in  verses  2 
and  3,  seem  to  be  the  ten  thousand  times  ten  thousand 
and  thousands  of  thousands  of  holy  angels  of  v,  ii. 
They  are  in  that  chapter,  and  here,  distinguished  from 
the  throne,  the  Cherubim,  and  the  Elders,  because  they 
sing  before  them,  and  they  are  distinguished  from  the 
saints  on  earth,  for  the  saints  learn  the  song  after  these 
sing  it.  The  idea  is  that  high  up  and  far  away,  around 
the  throne  of  God,  the  angels,  with  harp  and  voice,  are 
praising  the  Lamb  for  His  work  of  redemption,  as  in 
v,  12 — "  Worthy  is  the  Lamb  that  hath  been  slain  to 
receive  the  power,  and  riches,  and  wisdom,  and  might,  and 
honour,  and  glory,  and  blessing."  You  read  a  similar 
song  at  the  birth  of  our  Lord  by  the  same  singers,  in 
Luke  ii,  13,  14 — "  Glory  to  God  in  the  highest,  and  on 
earth  peace  among  men  in  whom  he  is  well  pleased." 
Had  it  been  a  hymn  of  creation  or  providence,  as  when 
all  these  angelic  "  sons  shouted  for  joy,"  or  as  Psalm 
civ,  it  would  not  have  been  a  new  song.  But  as  it  re- 
lates to  the  Redeemer  and  to  redemption  only,  it  is  new. 
Again,  had  it  been  a  song  of  creation,  any  deist  like  Tom 
Paine,  admiring  Addison's  paraphrase  of  the  nineteenth 
Psalm,  or  any  admirer  of  Pope's  "  Universal  Prayer  "  ad- 
dressed to  "  Jehovah,  Jove,  or  Lord,"  might  learn  it. 
But,  being  a  song  of  redemption,  only  the  redeemed  on 
earth — blood-washed — would  have  their  hearts  attuned 
to  its  harmony.     They  could  learn  it 


xiv]  PROPHETIC  FORECASTS  197 

Again,  the  idea  is  that  praise,  all  the  time,  in  loudest 
melody  is  filling  the  courts  of  heaven  and  echoing  through 
the  universe,  but  on  earth  only  those  whose  spiritual  ears 
have  been  opened  can  hear  the  music,  and  only  hearts 
purified  by  the  cleansing  blood  can  take  up  the  response, 
and  thus  constitute  a  grand  antiphony — earthly  choirs 
responding  to  heavenly  choirs  in  one  blended  sublime 
symphony.  Bunyan's  man  with  the  muckrake,  eyes 
downcast,  never  saw  or  heard  the  angel  above  him  offer- 
ing an  eternal  crown. 

We  need  particularly  to  understand  the  characteristics 
of  the  hundred  and  forty-four  thousand  in  verses  4 
and  5  : 

1.  "They  were  not  defiled  with  women;  for  they  are 
virgins."  The  word  "  virgins  "  is  common  gender,  i.e., 
may  apply,  and  does  here  apply,  to  both  sexes.  But  it 
is  a  gross  perversion  of  the  interpretation  of  symbolic 
language  to  make  this  characteristic  apply  to  celibacy 
and  thereby  commend  monks  and  nuns.  Spiritual  in- 
continence was  the  worship  of  idols.  The  symbolic 
"  virgins "  here  means  that  these  saints  had  not  wor- 
shipped Satan,  nor  his  leopard-beast,  nor  his  lamb-dragon 
beast,  nor  the  image  of  the  beast. 

2.  "  They  follow  the  Lamb  whithersoever  he  goeth." 
This  is  the  characteristic  of  obedience.  As  our  Lord 
had  said:  "If  any  man  would  be  my  disciple,  let  him 
deny  himself  and  take  up  his  cross  daily  and  follow  me," 
and  when  He  said :  "  If  ye  love  me,  keep  my  command- 
ments," and  yet  again :  "  Ye  are  my  friends  if  ye  do  what- 
soever I  command  you."  The  emphasis  on  the  "  whith- 
ersoever "  implies  that  we  should  not  merely  follow  in 
the  days  of  loaves  and  fishes,  nor  merely  as  the  "  ho- 
sanna  "  crowd  on  His  entrance  into  Jerusalem,  but  follow 
Him  to  the  cross.     His  leadership  should  be  paramount 


198  REVELATION  [xiv 

even  when  to  follow  means  prisons,  chains,  confiscation 
or  death. 

3.  They  were  "  purchased  "  men,  bought  with  His  own 
precious  blood  of  redemption,  and  hence  a  property  "  pe- 
culiar "  to  Him.     His  ownership  was  absolute. 

4.  "  Firstfruits  " — The  idea  again  is  one  of  ownership. 
Under  the  law  firstfruits  were  not  for  common  use,  but 
belonged  to  God  only  and  must  be  offered  to  Him  alone. 
This  applies  to  the  firstborn  of  families  and  all  cattle. 
The  thought  differs  from  ownership  by  purchase.  It 
affirms  an  original  ownership,  as  the  firstborn  son 
or  the  firstborn  male  of  cattle  or  other  stock,  and  the 
firstfruits  of  all  harvests  belonged  to  God.  This  is  the 
thought  in  Hebrews  xii,  23 — "  Church  of  the  first- 
born." 

5.  "  In  their  mouth  was  found  no  lie."  Here  again 
the  veracity  commended  was  a  spiritual  quality,  mean- 
ing that  they  neither  preached,  taught,  nor  testified  to  a 
doctrinal  lie.  Theirs  was  no  dragon,  no  beast  message; 
but  the  real  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ.  They  perverted  not 
His  ordinances ;  they  deluded  not  by  pointing  to  a  false 
hope.  There  is  no  reference  to  lying  in  general.  Of 
course,  Christianity  condemns  that. 

6.  "  They  are  without  blemish."  Here  again  the  ref- 
erence is  not  to  a  freedom  from  faults  or  infirmities, 
physical  or  mental,  and  I  say  not  even — or  at  least  not 
exclusively — to  a  freedom  from  immorality  in  the  ordi- 
nary sense.  A  comparison  of  all  the  parallel  passages 
shows:  (a)  There  is  no  blemish  in  their  external  right- 
eousness before  the  law,  for  it  is  in  Christ's  perfect  im- 
puted righteousness,  (b)  There  is  no  blemish  on  their 
internal  righteousness,  for  it  is  a  holiness  commenced  in 
regeneration  and  carried  on  and  consummated  in  sancti- 
fication.     (See  Ephesians  v,  27.)     The  logical,  not  the 


xiv]  PROPHETIC  FORECASTS  199 

chronological  order  of  these  six  characteristics  expressed 
in  plain  English  is  this: 

1.  They  are  Christ's  because  He  created  them. 

2.  They  are  Christ's  because  when  sold  into  bondage 
to  Satan  through  sin  He  bought  them  back  with  His  own 
precious  blood. 

3.  They  are  not  idolaters — not  guilty  of  spiritual  for- 
nication. 

4.  They  obey  Christ,  not  Satan  nor  his  beasts,  nor  the 
harlot,  nor  the  world. 

5.  They  preach  and  teach  the  gospel,  not  the  "  doc- 
trines of  demons." 

6.  They  are  without  blemish  because  justified,  regen- 
erated, sanctified.  These  are  the  righteousnesses  which 
are  spotless. 

Having  now  considered  part  one  of  our  chapter,  de- 
scribing our  Lord,  His  church,  His  holy  angels.  His 
people,  we  turn  to — 

PART  TWO 

The  proclamations  of  the  Three  Angels:  (verses  6 
to  13). 

First  Angel:  "  And  I  saw  another  angel  flying  in  mid- 
heaven,  having  eternal  good  tidings  to  proclaim  unto 
them  that  dwell  on  the  earth,  and  unto  every  nation,  and 
tribe,  and  tongue,  and  people ;  and  he  saith  with  a  great 
voice :  Fear  God  and  give  him  glory,  for  the  hour  of 
his  judgment  is  come ;  and  worship  him  that  made  the 
heaven  and  the  earth  and  the  sea  and  fountains  of 
waters." 

Under  the  imagery  of  this  flying  angel  is  set  forth 
the  means  by  which  the  saints  on  earth  win  their  victory 
over  Satan,  his  "  Holy  Roman  Empire,"  its  Papal  head 


200  REVELATION  [xiv 

and  counterfeit  church.  That  means  the  world-wide  dif- 
fusion of  the  true  gospel.  Wheresoever  that  gospel  is 
preached  in  its  purity  and  accepted  by  faith,  there  God 
is  feared  and  not  the  Pope:  there  the  glory  is  given 
to  the  Lamb  and  not  to  the  Virgin  Mary.  Kings  and 
secular  governments,  offended  at  Papal  usurpation,  may 
and  do  resort  to  carnal  means  for  the  suppression  of  this 
unholy  power.  They  may  and  do,  by  legal  enactment, 
abolish  monasteries  and  nunneries,  banish  the  Jesuits, 
sever  the  connection  between  their  state  religions  and 
the  Papal.  They  may  and  do  both  prescribe  and  pro- 
scribe by  way  of  restraint.  But  as  the  kingdom  of  our 
Lord  is  not  of  this  world,  His  servants  fight  with  dif- 
ferent weapons.  Their  offensive  weapon  is  the  Word  of 
God — the  sword  of  the  Spirit.  They  preach  the  Word; 
placard  the  skies  with  it ;  fill  the  earth  with  it ;  translate 
it  into  every  tongue,  tell  its  saving  story  by  preacher  and 
layman  to  all  nations,  relying  on  the  Spirit's  convicting, 
regenerating  and  sanctifying  power. 

It  is  this  6th  verse  that  gave  rise  to  the  missionary 
hymn  "  Fly  abroad,  thou  mighty  gospel."  It  is  called 
an  everlasting  because  it  will  never  become  obsolete.  An 
atheistic  president  of  a  great  university  may  vainly  try 
to  supersede  it  with  "  a  new  religion."  It  is  everlasting 
and  confers  life  everlasting  upon  its  loving  recipients. 
What  a  pity  when  Christians  lay  aside  this  tempered, 
two-edged,  sharp-pointed  New  Jerusalem  blade  for  a 
carnal  weapon. 

The  Second  Angel:  "  And  another,  a  second  angel,  fol- 
lowed, saying:  Fallen,  fallen  is  Babylon  the  great,  that 
hath  made  all  the  nations  to  drink  of  the  wine  of  the 
wrath  of  her  fornication." 

This  is  God's  pre-announcement  of  the  doom  of  the 
counterfeit  church,   with  the  indictment  that   she  had 


xiv]  PROPHETIC  FORECASTS  201 

made  all  nations  participate  in  her  spiritual  fornication 
— that  is,  substitution  of  worship  of  the  creature  for 
the  worship  of  the  Creator  and  Redeemer.  The  verdict 
of  history  sustains  the  indictment.  They  have  made  a 
man  the  head  of  the  church  instead  of  our  Lord,  and 
called  him  "  My  Lord  God,  the  Pope."  They  have  vested 
him  with  infallibility,  when  speaking  "  ex-cathedra." 
They  have  made  him  Christ's  vicar  instead  of  the  Holy 
Spirit,  and  have  vested  him  with  the  two  keys  and  the 
two  swords,  usurping  Christ's  authority  to  open  and 
shut,  both  ecclesiastical  and  secular  authority  to  punish 
the  whole  world.  They  have  made  a  woman  "  the  queen 
of  heaven,"  declared  her  "  the  fountain  of  all  grace," 
and  interposed  her  as  mediator  between  the  saint  and 
his  Saviour — the  only  mediator  between  God  and  man. 
This  is  not  Mariology,  but  Mariolatry.  They  confer  on 
the  consecrating  priest  the  authority  to  "  create  God," 
and  when  the  wafer  is  consecrated  it  is  worshipped  as 
God,  thus  multiplying  the  passion  of  our  Lord,  who 
"  suffered  once  for  all."  They  have  caused  the  world 
to  adore  images  and  relics,  attributing  to  them  many 
lying  miracles.  They  have  claimed  jurisdiction  over  the 
Spirit-world,  and  lengthened  probation  beyond  the  grave. 
In  imitation  of  the  heathen  demigods,  they  have  filled 
the  calendar  with  saints  whose  help  is  invoked  in  prayer. 
They  have  changed  ordinances,  added  to  them,  and  at- 
tributed to  them  saving  power.  No  wonder  this  device 
of  Satan  is  said  to  be  "  full  of  the  names  of  blasphemies  " 
and  her  cup  "  full  of  fornications." 

The  Third  Angel:  "  And  another  angel,  a  third,  fol- 
lowed them,  saying  with  a  great  voice:  If  any  man 
worshippeth  the  beast  and  his  image,  and  receiveth  a 
mark  on  his  forehead  or  upon  his  hand,  he  also  shall 
drink  of  the  wine  of  the  wrath  of  God,  which  is  prepared 


202  .     REVELATION  [xiv 

unmixed  [that  is,  undiluted]  in  the  cup  of  his  anger; 
and  he  shall  be  tormented  with  fire  and  brimstone  in  the 
presence  of  the  holy  angels  and  in  the  presence  of  the 
Lamb,  and  the  smoke  of  their  torment  goeth  up  for  ever 
and  ever,  and  they  have  no  rest  day  and  night,  they  that 
worship  the  beast  and  his  image,  and  whoso  receiveth 
the  mark  of  his  name." 

The  simple  meaning  of  this  paragraph  is  that  those 
who  incorrigibly  persist  in  drinking  from  the  harlot's  cup 
of  mixed  abominations,  shall  be  made  to  drink  of  the 
cup  of  God's  unmixed  wrath,  i.e.,  undiluted  wrath.  As 
a  later  detail  (xviii,  4)  distinctly  shows,  it  does  not  mean 
that  God  has  no  real  children  among  the  Papists.  It 
would  be  an  outrage  on  common  sense  and  history  to 
make  such  a  sweeping  accusation. 

This  Part  Two  closes  with  two  verses  somewhat  diffi- 
cult to  expound  with  confidence :  "  Here  is  the  patience 
of  the  saints,  they  that  keep  the  commandments  of  God 
and  the  faith  of  Jesus,  And  I  heard  a  voice  from  heaven 
saying,  Write,  Blessed  are  the  dead  who  die  in  the  Lord 
from  henceforth:  yea,  saith  the  Spirit,  that  they  may 
rest  from  their  labours;  for  their  works  follow  with 
them."  I  give  you  my  best  judgment  of  the  meaning 
both  negatively  and  positively:  Your  attention  has  al- 
ready been  called  to  the  difference  in  meaning  between 
"  Here  is  the  patience  of  the  saints  "  as  expressed  in 
xiii,  10,  and  as  expressed  here,  xiv,  12.  You  notice  in 
xiii,  10,  the  phrase  is  modified  by  "  and  the  faith,"  but 
not  so  modified  here,  which  as  I  think  means  that  in  the 
first  case  the  saints  in  their  endurance  are  consoled  only 
by  faith  that  God  will  ultimately  vindicate  them.  In  the 
latter  case  the  fruition  of  faith  is  at  hand.  They  are 
vindicated;  there  is  no  delay  any  longer,  which  suggests 
the  clue  to  the  meaning  of  the  13th  verse.    Which  does 


xnr]  PROPHETIC  FORECASTS  203 

not  mean  that  those  who  die  at  another  time  are  not 
blessed.  But  it  does  mean  that  there  is  a  sense  in  which 
those  dying  in  the  Lord  after  the  fall  of  the  Papal  Rome 
are  blessed,  which  martyrs  who  died  in  the  Lord  in  the 
hour  of  Papal  triumph  did  not  share.  And  the  precise 
sense  is  defined  in  the  concluding  clause :  "  For  their 
works  do  follow  them."  It  was  a  long  time  before  the 
works  of  the  martyrs  followed  them  into  glory,  i.e.,  until 
the  wisdom  and  righteousness  of  their  course  was  dem- 
onstrated. In  the  eyes  of  their  companions  their  bloody 
death  seemed  to  be  a  failure.  But  now,  when  the  perse- 
cuting power  is  destroyed  and  popular  sentiment  is  with 
the  saint,  his  death  is  not  regarded  as  a  tragedy  but  a 
glorious  consummation  of  a  happy  life.  Paul,  in  a  meas- 
ure, expresses  the  thought  when  he  charges  Timothy 
not  to  be  hasty  in  ordaining  men,  because  while  in  some 
men  their  character  is  evident  at  first  sight,  in  others  it 
is  not  evident.  As  he  expresses  it :  "  Lay  hands  hastily 
on  no  man,  neither  be  partaker  of  other  men's  sins  .  .  . 
Some  men's  sins  are  evident,  going  before  unto  judg- 
ment; and  some  men  also  they  follow  after.  In  like 
manner  also  there  are  good  works  that  are  evident;  and 
such  as  are  cannot  be  hid." 

Now  that  the  persecuting  power  is  destroyed,  Write: 
"  Blessed  are  the  dead  who  die  in  the  Lord  henceforth, 
for  their  works  do  follow  them." 

PART  THREE 

The  Great  Harvest 

14th  verse :  "  And  I  saw,  and  behold,  a  white  cloud, 
and  on  the  cloud  I  saw  one  sitting,  having  on  his  head 
a  golden  crown,  and  in  his  hand  a  sharp  sickle.  And 
another  angel  came  out  of  the  temple  crying  with  a  great 


204<  REVELATION  [xiv 

voice  to  him  that  sat  on  the  cloud :  Send  forth  thy  sickle 
and  reap;  for  the  hour  to  reap  is  come,  for  the  harvest 
of  the  earth  is  ripe.     And  he  that  sat  on  the  cloud  cast 
his  sickle  on  the  earth  and  the  earth  was  reaped." 
Now,  that  is  the  harvest  of  the  good. 

PART  FOUR 
The  Great  Vintage 

17th  verse :  "  And  another  angel  came  out  of  the  tem- 
ple which  is  in  heaven,  he  also  having  a  sharp  sickle. 
And  another  angel  came  out  from  the  altar,  he  that  hath 
power  over  fire ;  and  he  called  with  a  great  voice  to  him 
that  had  the  sharp  sickle,  saying:  Send  forth  thy  sharp 
sickle  and  gather  the  clusters  of  the  vines  of  the  earth, 
for  her  grapes  are  fully  ripe.  And  the  angel  cast  his 
sickle  into  the  earth  and  gathered  the  vintage  of  the 
earth,  and  cast  it  into  the  winepress,  the  great  winepress 
of  the  wrath  of  God.  And  the  winepress  was  without 
the  city,  and  there  came  out  blood  from  the  winepress, 
even  unto  the  bridle  of  the  horses,  as  far  as  a  thousand 
and  six  hundred  furlongs." 

That  is  the  harvest  of  the  bad.  The  director  of  both 
the  harvest  and  the  vintage  is  our  Lord  Himself.  The 
agents  employed  are  the  angels.  The  general  import  of 
these  two  parts  of  the  chapter  is  much  the  same  as  that 
of  the  parable  of  the  tares  as  expounded  by  our  Lord 
Himself :  "  He  that  soweth  the  good  seed  is  the  Son 
of  man;  and  the  field  is  the  world;  and  the  good  seed, 
these  are  the  sons  of  the  kingdom,  and  the  tares  are  the 
sons  of  the  evil  one  and  the  enemy  that  sowed  them  is 
the  devil,  and  the  harvest  is  the  end  of  the  world,  and 
the  reapers  are  the  angels.  As  therefore  the  tares  are 
gathered  up  and  burned  with  fire;  so  shall  it  be  in  the 


xiv]  PROPHETIC  FORECASTS  205 

end  of  the  world.  The  Son  of  man  shall  send  forth  his 
angels  and  they  shall  gather  out  of  his  kingdom  all 
things  that  cause  stumbling  and  them  that  do  iniquity 
and  shall  cast  them  into  the  flames  of  fire ;  there  shall 
be  weeping  and  gnashing  of  teeth.  Then  shall  the  right- 
eous shine  forth  as  the  sun  in  the  kingdom  of  their 
Father.  He  that  hath  ears,  let  him  hear."  And  much  the 
same  is  that  of  the  parable  of  the  dragnet :  "  And  again, 
the  kingdom  of  heaven  is  like  unto  a  net  that  was  cast 
into  the  sea  and  gathered  every  kind ;  which  when  it 
was  filled  they  drew  up  on  the  beach,  and  they  sat  down 
and  gathered  the  good  into  vessels,  but  the  bad  they  cast 
away.  So  shall  it  be  in  the  end  of  the  world ;  the  angels 
shall  come  forth  and  sever  the  wicked  from  among  the 
righteous  and  shall  cast  them  into  the  furnace  of  fire : 
there  shall  be  weeping  and  gnashing  of  teeth." 

The  only  difference  in  the  exact  import  lies  in  this: 
That  the  parables  of  the  tares  and  dragnet  represent  the 
final  judgment  scene,  whereas  the  harvest  and  the  vintage 
here  represent  that  era  of  judgments  which  precedes  even 
the  Millennium  and  introduces  it.  There  is  a  triumph 
of  the  true  church,  more  elaborately  set  forth  later,  and 
the  downfall  of  the  counterfeit  church,  also  set  forth  later 
with  elaborate  details.  There  is  a  complete  reversal  of 
the  relative  positions  of  the  two  institutions.  In  xii,  6, 
the  true  church  is  in  the  obscurity  of  the  wilderness  for 
1260  years.  In  xvii,  3,  the  counterfeit  church  is  in  the 
wilderness,  about  to  receive  her  final  doom.  Particularly 
the  vintage  will  re-appear  in  the  great  war  of  Armaged- 
don (xvi,  16)  and  in  the  winepress  of  the  wrath  (xix, 
115),  as  it  had  already  been  forecast  by  Isaiah  (Ixiii,  1-6). 


206  REVELATION  [xiv 

EXAMINATION  QUESTIONS 
Review  of  Preceding  Chapter 

1.  What  the  symbol  of  the  "Holy  Roman  Empire"  which 
succeeded  to  Pagan  Rome? 

2.  What  the  symbol  of  its  ecclesiastical  head? 

3.  What  the  symbol  of  the  counterfeit  church? 

4.  What  the  scriptures  which  govern  the  interpretation? 

5.  With  what  expression  in  Daniel,  and  a  later  one  in  this 
book,  is  the  lamb-dragon  beast  identified? 

6.  Were  the  "  Holy  Roman  Empire,"  and  the  Papacy,  and 
the  Romanish  hierarchy  instantaneous  products,  or  all  gradual 
developments   from  small   beginnings? 

Chapter  Fourteen 

7.  What  the  four  parts  of  this  chapter? 

8.  What  its  general  purpose  and  relation  to  succeeding 
chapters? 

9.  What  caution  in  interpreting  the  symbolism  of  this 
chapter? 

Part  One — xiv,  1-5 

ID.  Under  what  symbol  does  our  Lord  appear,  and  its 
meaning? 

11.  Under  what  symbol  does  the  church  appear,  and  its 
meaning  negatively  and  positively? 

12.  Who  are  symbolized  by  the  144,000,  and  what  distinction 
in  meaning  between  that  symbolic  number  here  and  in  xvii,  8? 

13.  Illustrate  in  a  way  familiar  to  West  Texans  that  the 
Satan  brand  on  forehead  and  hand,  and  the  divine  inscription 
on  the  foreheads  of  the  saints,  do  not  represent  character  or 
quality,  but  ownership. 

14.  Who  the  singers  and  harpers  of  verse  2? 

15.  Explain  the  "new  song"  they  sing,  and  cite  two  similar 
preceding  songs. 

16.  Cite  instances  of  an  "  Old  Song,"  and  who  could  learn 
to  sing  that;  and  why  only  the  redeemed  can  learn  the  new 
song. 

17.  Explain  negatively  where  necessary,  and  positively,  each 
one  of  the  six  characteristics  of  the  saints. 

18.  Repeat  in  logical  order,  and  without  symbols,  these  six 
characteristics. 

The  Proclamatiotu  of  the  Three  Angels 

19.  State  briefly  the  meaning  of  the  "  Flying  Angel." 

20.  Distinguish  between  the  means  of  victory  over  the 
counterfeit  church  employed  by  the  saints  and  by  secular  gov- 
ernments, and  why? 


xiv]  PROPHETIC  FORECASTS  207 

21.  Why  is  this  gospel  called  "  everlasting,"  and  how  does 
it  rebuke  a  certain  president  emeritus  of  a  great  university? 

22.  What  hymn   suggested  by  this  verse? 

23.  What  the  meaning  of  the  second  proclamation ;  and 
what  the  indictment  of  the  counterfeit  church? 

24.  Show  how  history  sustains  the  indictment. 

25.  Meaning  of  the  third  angelic  proclamation.  Prove  from 
subsequent  passage  that  this  destruction  does  not  overtake  all 
Romanists. 

26.  What  the  difference  between  the  "  patience  of  the  saints  " 
in  xiii,  10,  and  xiv,  12? 

2T.    Explain  the  "  henceforth  "  in  xiv,  13. 

28.  In  general  terms  what  the  meaning  of  the  harvest  and 
what  the  vintage  of  xiv,   14-20? 

29.  In  general  terms  wherein  is  this  paragraph  like  two 
parables  of  our  Lord,  but  wherein  does  it  differ  from  those 
parables  ? 

30.  In  what  subsequent  passages  of  this  book  does  the  vin- 
tage re-appear  in  more  details,  and  what  prophet  forecasts  this 
vintage  ? 


XIV 

THE  SEVEN  PLAGUES  AND  THE  SEVEN 
BOWLS  OF  WRATH 

Revelation  XV  and  XVI 

WE  shall  consider  in  this  study  the  seven  plagues 
and  the  seven  bowls  of  wrath,  or  the  divine 
judgment  on  the  leopard-beast,  and  the  harlot 
woman,  and  the  consequent  triumph  of  the  true  church 
through  the  gospel.  Chapters  xvii,  xviii  and  xix  will 
continue  the  same  theme. 

Preliminary  Observations 

1.  XV,  I,  by  anticipation,  presents  the  plagues  as  if  in- 
flicted, though  the  details  of  the  infliction  are  given  in 
chapter  xvi. 

2.  XV,  2-4,  in  like  manner — i.e.,  by  anticipation — pre- 
sents the  triumph  of  the  saints  when  the  plagues  shall  have 
been  inflicted,  and  is  given  in  more  detail  in  xix,  i-io, 
in  its  proper  historical  connection. 

3.  XV,  5-8,  also  by  anticipation,  gives  the  agencies 
through  which  the  plagues  in  chapter  xvi  will  be  inflicted 
and  the  triumph  achieved. 

4.  The  Old  Testament  analogue  which  constitutes  most 
of  the  imagery  of  chapters  xv  and  xvi  is  Exodus  i  to  xv. 
We  cannot  successfully  interpret  this  lesson  without  an 

^08 


xv-xvi]  THE  SEVEN  PLAGUES  209 

understanding  of  the  ancient  history  which  suggests  its 
imagery. 

5.  Another  historical  analogue,  Babylon,  and  the  Eu- 
phrates which  constituted  both  its  defence  and  its  weak- 
ness, suggests  the  imagery  in  xvi,  12.  Here  our  historical 
background  is  Xenophon's  account  of  the  capture  of 
Babylon  by  the  armies  of  Cyrus,  through  diversion  of 
the  waters  of  the  Euphrates,  and  consequent  drying  up 
of  its  channel  in  the  city,  confirmed  both  by  the  prophecy 
of  Jeremiah  (1,  38)  and  by  this  passage  in  Revelation. 
The  Babylon  downfall  as  foretold  by  the  ancient  prophets, 
Jeremiah,  Ezekiel  and  Daniel,  will  suggest  much  of  the 
imagery  of  chapters  xvii  and  xviii,  which  will  be  more 
particularly  considered  in  the  exposition  of  those  chapters. 

6.  Our  interpretation  will  make  the  "  seven  thunders  " 
of  X,  4,  uttered  then  but  temporarily  sealed  up,  i.e.,  not 
written,  and  "  the  seven  plagues  "  of  chapter  xv,  and 
"  the  seven  bowls  of  wrath  "  of  chapter  xvi,  substantially 
the  same,  though  the  logical  order  would  be  this :  The 
seven  thunders  called,  the  seven  bowls  of  wrath  re- 
sponded to  the  call,  and  the  seven  bowls  of  wrath  when 
outpoured  constitute  the  seven  plagues. 

These  six  preliminary  observations  underlie  the 
exegesis  now  given  in  detail. 

Chapter  XV 

"  And  I  saw  another  sign  in  heaven,  great  and  mar- 
vellous, seven  angels  having  seven  plagues,  which  are 
the-  last,  for  in  them  is  finished  the  wrath  of  God." 

The  reader  must  note  that  when  these  plagues  are 
called  "  the  last,"  for  in  them  is  finished  the  "  wrath  of 
God,"  the  import  of  the  term  "  last  "  and  "  finished  "  must 
not  be  stretched  beyond  their  connection.     It  is  a  rela- 


210  REVELATION  [xv-xvi 

tive  "  last "  and  "  finished."  It  is  the  last  of  the  divine 
judgment  on  the  organized  apostasy  in  its  triple  form  of 
a  "  Holy  Roman  Empire,"  a  Papal  head  and  an  idolatrous 
and  persecuting  counterfeit  church,  but  it  cannot  refer 
to  the  wrath  exercised  after  the  Millennium  in  xx,  7-10, 
nor  the  wrath  of  the  final  judgment  (xx,  11-15).  Note 
next  on  this  first  verse  the  "  seven  plagues  "  repeated  in 
verses  6  and  8  and  named  in  xvi,  8-21.  Their  number 
"  seven "  indicates  their  completeness,  as  will  appear 
when  the  bowls  of  wrath  which  produce  them  are  poured 
out  in  succession  on  the  earth,  the  sea,  the  rivers  and 
fountains,  the  sun,  the  Euphrates  and  the  air.  When 
the  lightning  strikes  in  all  these  places,  it  touches  the 
whole  circumference  of  environment.  There  is  no  escape 
from  such  diverse  wrath.  It  is  done.  It  is  finished. 
The  measure  is  filled  up  to  overflowing. 

We  now  look  back  to  the  historical  analogue.  We 
have  in  Exodus  i  to  xv  the  great  war  between 
Jehovah  and  the  gods  of  Egypt  for  the  redemption 
of  His  national  Israel,  or  between  Moses,  the  mouthpiece 
of  God,  and  Pharaoh,  king  of  Egypt,  or  between  the 
miracles  wrought  by  Moses  and  the  lying  wonders  of  the 
magicians,  Jannes  and  Jambres.  Jehovah  speaks,  Moses 
acts,  the  ten  plagues  follow,  just  as  here  the  seven  thun- 
ders are  God's  voices,  the  bowls  of  wrath  respond  and 
the  plagues  are  the  result.  Whoever  has  studied  the  ten 
plagues  of  Egypt  will  see  their  completeness  touching  all 
the  environment  and  degrading  every  god  in  Egypt,  and 
all  their  ministers,  whether  king,  magician  or  priest. 
All  these  discriminated  between  Israel  and  Egypt ;  on  one 
they  fell,  the  other  was  exempt.  The  very  form  of  some 
of  these  plagues  is  repeated  here,  as  will  appear  in  our 
exegesis  of  chapter  xvi.  The  conflict  terminated  with 
the  complete  overthrow  of   Pharaoh  and  his  hosts  in 


xv-xvi]  THE  SEVEN  PLAGUES  211 

the  Red  Sea,  and  "  Thus  Jehovah  saved  Israel  that  day 
out  of  the  hand  of  the  Egyptians;  and  Israel  saw  the 
Egyptians  dead  upon  the  sea  shore,  and  Israel  saw  the 
great  work  which  Jehovah  did  upon  the  Egyptians ;  and 
the  people  feared  Jehovah ;  and  they  believed  in  Jehovah 
and  in  his  servant  Moses."     Exodus  xiv,  30,  31. 

"  And  I  saw,  as  it  were,  a  sea  of  glass  mingled  with 
fire ;  and  them  that  came  off  victorious  from  the  beast, 
and  from  his  image  and  from  the  number  of  his  name, 
standing  by  the  sea  of  glass,  having  harps  of  God.  And 
they  sing  the  song  of  Moses  the  servant  of  God,  and  the 
song  of  the  Lamb,  saying :  Great  and  marvellous  are  thy 
works,  O  Lord  God  Almighty;  righteous  and  true  are 
thy  ways,  thou  king  of  the  ages.  Who  shall  not  fear, 
O  Lord,  and  glorify  thy  name?  For  thou  only  art 
holy;  for  all  the  nations  shall  come  and  worship  be- 
fore thee,  for  thy  righteous  acts  have  been  made  mani- 
fest." 

This  is  almost  an  exact  parallel  of  the  analogue  at 
Exodus  xiv,  19-22,  and  the  triumph  song  at  Exodus  xv, 
1-18,  and  Miriam's  response  at  Exodus  xv,  20,  21.  The 
Old  Testament  analogue  alone  enables  us  to  explain  "  the 
sea  of  glass,  mingled  with  fire  "  which  so  unnecessarily 
perplexed  commentators.  You  need  only  to  conceive  of 
the  Red  Sea  divided  standing  up  in  walls  on  either  side, 
and  as  Exodus  xv,  8,  expresses  it:  "The  floods  stood 
upright  as  an  heap ;  the  deeps  were  concealed  in  the  heart 
of  the  sea,"  then  conceive  Israel  marching  in  triumph 
between  and  the  pillar  of  fire  between  them  and  Pharaoh, 
shining  on  those  ice  walls  which,  as  mirrors,  reflected 
its  light,  it  indeed  seemed  a  "  sea  of  glass  mingled  with 
fire,"  and  so  "  they  were  baptized  in  the  cloud  [pillar  of 
cloud  overshadowing]   and  in  the  sea"   (her  walls  on 


212  REVELATION  [xv-xvi 

two  sides  encompassing  them).  Hence  it  might  be  called 
a  baptism,  so  overwhelmed  and  enwrapped  were  they, 
but  it  was  a  baptism  in  light.  So  here,  after  the  plagues 
have  overthrown  their  long-time  enemies  with  a  com- 
plete overthrow,  the  saints,  bathed  in  radiance,  sing  their 
song  of  triumph  which,  on  account  of  the  analogue,  is 
called  "  The  song  of  Moses,  the  servant  of  God,  and  of 
the  Lamb." 

The  study  is  profitable  to  compare  the  Moses  song 
(Exodus  XV )  with  the  song  here  (Revelation  xv),  and 
its  more  elaborate  form  (Revelation  xix). 

On  the  closing  paragraph  of  chapter  xv,  verses 
5-8,  it  is  necessary  now  to  note  only  the  following 
points : 

1.  "  The  temple  of  the  tabernacle  of  testimony,"  or 
the  sanctuary  of  the  tent,  means  here  the  church  as  an 
institution,  through  which  as  an  agent  the  plagues  are 
to  be  inflicted. 

2.  The  priestly  garb  of  the  angels  carrying  the  plague 
also  indicates  human  agency. 

3.  The  "  smoke  "  in  temple  or  sanctuary  indicates  the 
Divine  Presence,  as  in  Exodus  xl,  34;  Numbers  ix,  15; 
I  Kings  viii,  lo-ii;  Isaiah  vi,  4.  While  Moses  nor  the 
priests  of  Solomon  could  for  a  while  enter  the  Holy 
House,  filled  by  the  cloud,  there  seems  to  be  an  addi- 
tional idea  in  the  Isaiah  case  that  as  God  entered  for 
fully  ripened  judgments  there  could  be  no  intercession 
allowed  while  the  judgments  were  being  inflicted,  since 
probation  was  ended  and  the  space  for  repentance  was 
withdrawn.  Such  also  appears  to  be  the  idea  here,  as  we 
repeatedly  note  in  chapter  xvi  that  no  repentance  followed 
these  plagues.  (See  xvi,  9-11.)  The  plagues,  therefore, 
were  not  chastisements  designed  to  lead  to  repentance, 
but  altogether  punitive. 


xv-xvi]  THE  SEVEN  PLAGUES  213 

Chapter  XVI 
The  Bowls  of  Wrath,  and  the  Consequent  Plagues. 

General  Observations: 

1.  I  restate  the  general  idea  of  interpretation  already 
suggested  by  the  Old  Testament  analogue,  Exodus  i-xv. 
Before  Pharaoh  and  his  people  could  be  induced  to  lib- 
erate God's  ancient  Israel,  all  the  supports  of  their  power 
must  be  swept  away  by  successive  divine  judgments. 
These  judgments  were  like  the  flood  in  the  days  of  Noah: 
"  The  windows  of  heaven  were  opened ;  the  fountains 
of  the  deep  were  broken  up;  the  waters  increased;  the 
waters  prevailed  and  increased  mightily;  the  waters  pre- 
vailed mightily,  mightily  upon  the  earth,  and  all  the  high 
mountains  that  are  under  the  whole  heavens  were  cov- 
ered. Fifteen  cubits  did  the  waters  prevail;  and  the 
mountains  were  covered,"  As  the  waters  of  the  flood 
wiped  off  from  the  face  of  the  earth  every  living  being, 
so  the  ten  plagues  swept  away  all  the  props  of  Egypt,  and 
just  so  here,  by  successive  judgments,  God  completely 
sweeps  away  all  the  props  of  Satan's  usurped  kingdom. 
Whatever  the  meaning  of  the  symbols,  "  earth,  sea,  rivers 
and  fountains,  sun,  the  throne  of  the  beast,  the  great 
river  Euphrates,  the  air,"  on  which  in  succession  the 
bowls  of  wrath  were  poured,  they  represent  exhaustively 
the  whole  resources  of  Satan's  kingdom  under  its  apos- 
tate forms  of  a  Holy  Roman  Empire,  its  Papal  head,  and 
its  harlot  counterfeit  church.  While  we  may  not  be 
dogmatic  in  the  interpretation  of  these  symbols,  the 
meanings  given  are  the  expression  of  sincere  and  thought- 
ful judgment, 

2.  Any  student  must  be  struck  with  the  correspond- 
ence, in  part,  between  the  events  under  the  trumpets  and 


214  REVELATION  [xv-xvi 

under  the  bowls  of  wrath,  particularly  where  the  apos- 
tasy poisoned  the  fountains  and  dimmed  the  sun.  So 
in  just  the  same  place  here  the  lightning  will  strike. 

3.  "  Har-Magedon  " — verse  16.  Literally,  this  com- 
pound word  means  "  the  hill  of  Megiddo."  Geograph- 
ically, it  overlooks  the  great  plain  of  Esdraelon,  near  the 
middle  of  the  Mediterranean  coast  of  Palestine.  His- 
torically, on  account  of  its  strategic  position,  it  has  been 
the  decisive  battleground  of  the  ages  for  the  fate  of 
that  country.  Here  Joshua  conquered.  Here,  in  the 
times  of  the  Judges,  Barak  and  Deborah  won  their  de- 
cisive victory  over  Sisera  (Judges  iv,  v),  and  Gideon  his 
signal  triumph  over  the  Midianites  (Judges  vii).  Here 
Saul  lost  his  life  and  kingdom  (I  Samuel,  xxxi,  8),  and 
here  good  Josiah  lost  his  life  in  battle  with  the  Egyptians, 
which  called  forth  an  ordinance  for  lamentation  by  Jere- 
miah and  the  people  (H  Chronicles  xxxv,  24,  25).  And 
this  great  mourning  for  Josiah  suggested  to  Zechariah 
the  greater  penitential  mourning  of  the  Jewish  people 
which  will  lead  to  their  salvation  in  a  later  day  (Zecha- 
riah xii,  lo-xiii,  i).  This  same  valley  was  the  battle- 
field of  the  Ptolemies  of  Egypt  and  the  Seleucids  of 
Antioch  for  the  supremacy  of  the  Holy  Land,  and  for 
Saracen  and  Crusader  after  their  day,  and  the  scene 
of  many  struggles  since.  Prophetically,  in  the  Old  Tes- 
tament is  it  equivalent  to  Joel's  great  battle  in  the  valley 
of  Jehoshaphat :  "  Multitudes,  multitudes,  in  the  valley 
of  decision  "  (Joel  iii,  1-17)  ?  and  Zechariah's  great  war 
for  the  recovery  of  Spiritual  Jerusalem  (Zechariah  xiv, 
2-15),  and  Daniel's  great  battlefield  (Daniel  xi,  45-xii,  i), 
and  Isaiah's  blood-stained  hero  (Isaiah  Ixiii,  1-6)  ? 

Prophetically  in  tliis  book  are  the  parallel  passages, 
the  great  vintage  (xiv,  17-20),  the  war  of  Armageddon 
(xvi,  14-16),  and  the  great  victory  preceding  and  intro- 


xv-xvi]  THE  SEVEN  PLAGUES  215 

ducing  the  Millennium  (xix,  10-21)?  With  the  literal, 
geographical  and  historical  backgrounds  we  have  no  con- 
cern except  to  find  the  symbolic  imagery.  The  prophetic 
meaning  from  the  symbols  we  must  gather  from  the  four 
Old  Testament  passages  and  the  three  New  Testament 
passages  cited. 


Exegesis  of   Chapter  XVI 

"  And  I  heard  a  great  voice  out  of  the  temple,  saying 
to  the  seven  angels,  Go  ye  and  pour  out  the  seven  bowls 
of  the  wrath  of  God  into  the  earth.  And  the  first  went  and 
poured  out  his  bowl  into  the  earth;  and  it  became  a 
noisome  and  grievous  sore  upon  the  men  that  had  the 
mark  of  the  beast  and  that  worshipped  his  image." 

Note  first  that  this  judgment  finds  its  symbol  in  the 
sixth  plague  on  Egypt,  the  plague  of  the  boils  and  ulcers. 
And  also  note  that,  as  here,  the  wrath  was  poured  on 
the  "  earth,"  and  the  victims  are  those  who  worshipped 
the  beast  and  wore  his  mark.  So  from  xiii,  11-17,  we 
have  learned  that  the  earth-hea.st  with  the  voice  of  a 
dragon  caused  men  to  worship  the  image  of  the  leopard- 
beast  and  to  receive  his  mark.  In  the  Egyptian  plague, 
the  body  was  afflicted,  but  what  means  it  here  ?  Here  it 
must  mean  some  ulceration  of  mind  and  soul,  a  spiritual 
inflammation  causing  exquisite  torment.  One  may  not 
define  too  confidently  just  what  state  of  mind  fulfils  this 
prophecy.  But  we  will  not  be  far  afield  if  we  refer  it 
to  that  mental  disquietude  and  spiritual  unrest  which 
come  to  all  idolaters  when  their  delusions  are  scattered 
by  exposure  of  the  false  objects  of  worship,  and  the  tor- 
ments of  remorse  when  seeing  that  they  have  been 
blinded  and  enslaved  in  turning  away  from  the  service 
and  worship  of  the  true  God.     Intense  despair  of  spirit 


216  REVELATION  [xv-xvi 

follows  such  disenchantment  when  the  mind  at  last  be- 
holds the  entire  system  of  counterfeit  religion  to  be 
earthly,  sensual,  devihsh.  The  best  illustration  I  know 
is  the  ruined  Zelica's  shriek  of  despair  when  Mokanna 
lifted  his  veil  and  let  her  see  what  a  foul,  hideous  demon 
he  was. 

"  And  the  second  poured  out  his  bowl  into  the  sea,  and 
it  became  blood  as  of  a  dead  man ;  and  every  living  soul 
died,  even  the  things  that  were  in  the  sea." 

Out  of  the  "sea"  came  the  leopard-beast  (xiii,  2). 
"  The  many  waters  "  upon  which  the  harlot  sat  are  de- 
fined as  "  peoples,  multitudes,  nations  and  tongues  "  (xvii, 
1-15).  Wrath  poured  on  the  sea  then  must  mean  God's 
judgment  on  a  politico-religious  government,  a  union  of 
church  and  state  whose  ecclesiastical  head  dominates  the 
many  subject  nations.  That  kind  of  a  government  is 
Satan's  masterpiece.  It  is  essential  to  the  prevalence  of 
the  Papal  power.  It  is  the  water  of  life  in  the  Papal 
garden;  turn  it  into  blood  and  the  garden  becomes  a 
desert.  If  this  line  of  thought  be  correct,  the  interpreta- 
tion may  be  applied  to  the  action  of  all  nations  that 
finally  repel  the  supremacy  of  the  Romanist  hierarchy 
over  either  their  national  or  ecclesiastical  affairs.  For 
example,  one  emperor  of  Germany  went,  on  Papal  de- 
mand, to  Canossa  and  put  his  neck  under  the  foot  of  the 
Pope,  but  Bismarck,  referring  to  William  III,  said,  "  This 
emperor  will  not  go  to  Canossa."  Or,  it  would  apply  to 
the  weakening  of  the  nations  strictly  Romanist,  as  Spain 
is  and  France  was,  compared  with  the  increase  in  power 
and  influence  of  non-Romanist  nations. 

In  other  words,  as  expressed  in  chapter  xvii,  verses 
13,  16,  the  ten  kingdoms  which  at  first  had  "  one  mind," 
to  give  their  power  and  authority  unto  the  beast,  "  to 
make  war  on  the  Lamb,"  these  later  "shall  hate  the  bar- 


xv-xvi]  THE  SEVEN  PLAGUES  217 

lot  and  shall  make  her  desolate  and  naked,  and  shall  eat 
her  flesh,  and  burn  her  with  fire." 

John  Bunyan,  in  the  "  Pilgrim's  Progress,"  represents 
his  pilgrims  as  passing  by  the  mouth  of  a  cave  from  which 
two  old,  decrepit  giants,  "  Pagan  and  Pope,"  glared  at 
them  in  impotent  rage,  saying,  "  You  will  never  stop  this 
going  on  a  pilgrimage  until  more  of  you  be  burned,"  but 
their  powers  to  burn  had  passed  away.  The  nations  now 
refused  to  be  the  executors  of  ecclesiastical  anathe- 
mas. 

As  in  the  analogue  the  turning  of  the  Nile — the  very 
life  of  Egypt — into  blood  broke  for  the  time  being  the 
power  of  Pharaoh,  so  when  this  unholy  alliance  of 
church  and  state  becomes  as  a  dead  man's  blood,  blood 
that  would  no  longer  flow,  governmental  persecution  for 
conscience'  sake  received  a  shock  from  which  it  has 
never  fully  recovered.  The  ecclesiastical  disposition  to 
burn  "  heretics "  still  remains,  but  the  states  are  no 
longer  subservient.  So  far  as  the  principle  is  involved, 
this  applies  to  all  persecuting  states,  whether  Pagan, 
Papal,  Greek,  Protestant  or  Mahometan.  The  divine 
judgment  is  on  the  whole  business,  no  matter  under  what 
name.  The  class  will  note  the  power  of  the  expression, 
"  the  blood  of  a  dead  man  " ;  the  outward  form  remains, 
but  the  inward  arterial  current  has  congealed. 

"  And  the  third  poured  out  his  bowl  into  the  rivers  and 
the  fountains  of  the  waters,  and  it  became  blood.  And 
I  heard  the  angel  of  the  waters  saying:  Righteous  art 
thou  who  art  and  who  wert,  thou  Holy  One,  because  thou 
didst  thus  judge;  for  they  poured  out  the  blood  of  saints 
and  prophets,  and  blood  thou  hast  given  them  to  drink: 
they  are  worthy.  And  I  heard  the  altar  saying:  Yea,  O 
Lord  God,  the  Almighty,  true  and  righteous  are  thy 
judgments." 


218  REVELATION  [xv-xvi 

Here  we  must  recall,  from  viii,  lo,  ii,  that  the 
second  effect  of  the  apostasy,  under  the  symbol  of  a 
star  called  Wormwood,  representing  an  apostate  clerg}', 
yet  burning  as  a  lamp,  representing  an  apostate  church, 
was  the  poisoning  of  a  third  part  of  the  rivers  and  foun- 
tains, which  was  there  interpreted  to  mean  the  sources 
of  thought  and  life.  The  judgment  now  follows  the 
poison.  The  imagery  again  comes,  but  in  a  different 
direction,  from  the  first  plague  on  Egypt.  That  miracle 
worked  in  two  directions:  (i)  The  Nile,  worshipped  as 
a  god,  became  corrupt  and  death-breeding  through  con- 
version to  blood;  (2)  All  drinking  water  in  the  canals, 
reservoirs  and  house  vessels  became  unusable. 

The  thought  of  this  bowl  of  wrath,  following  the  sec- 
ond direction  of  the  miracle,  is  that  as  by  corruption  of 
religious  thought,  the  minds  of  men  have  been  turned  to 
persecutions,  then  by  so  much  as  they  have  shed  blood 
shall  they  be  made  to  drink  blood.  The  punishment 
comes  in  kind. 

"  And  the  fourth  poured  out  his  bowl  upon  the  sun, 
and  it  was  given  unto  it  to  scorch  men  with  fire.  And 
men  were  scorched  with  great  heat,  and  they  blasphemed 
the  name  of  God  who  hath  the  power  over  these  plagues, 
and  they  repented  not  to  give  him  glory." 

RecalHng  the  fourth  trumpet  (viii,  12)  we  there  found 
the  third  effect  of  the  apostasy  was  to  dim  the  sources  of 
light,  particularly  the  third  part  of  the  sun.  We  there 
interpreted  the  sun  to  be  the  symbol  of  Christ,  and  the 
dimming  of  the  light  to  be  a  substitution  for  Christ  in 
His  expiation  (by  the  mass)  and  in  His  mediation  (by 
the  Virgin  Mary),  and  in  His  Vicar  (by  the  Pope). 
Now  again  the  judgment  follows  the  form  of  the  apos- 
tasy, God  in  Christ  is  salvation.  God  out  of  Christ 
is  a  consuming  fire.     H  His  light  be  rejected.  His  heat 


xv-xvi]  THE  SEVEN  PLAGUES  219 

scorches.  Moses  very  vividly  presents  the  thought  in 
his  farewell  address  to  Israel.  If  you  turn  away  from 
Jehovah,  everything  intended  for  a  blessing  will  become 
a  curse :  "  Jehovah  will  smite  thee  with  consumption  and 
with  fever  and  with  inflammation  and  with  fiery  heat 
and  with  the  sword,  and  with  blasting,  and  with  mildew : 
and  they  shall  pursue  thee  until  thou  perish.  And  thy 
heaven  that  is  over  thy  head  shall  be  brass,  and  the 
earth  that  is  under  thee  shall  be  iron.  Jehovah  shall 
make  the  rain  of  thy  land  powder  and  dust ;  from  heaven 
shall  it  come  down  upon  thee,  until  thou  be  destroyed. 
.  .  .  And  thy  life  shall  hang  in  doubt  before  thee ;  and 
thou  shalt  fear  night  and  day  and  shalt  have  no  assurance 
of  thy  life.  In  the  morning  thou  shalt  say,  Would  it 
were  even,  and  at  even  thou  shalt  say.  Would  it  were 
morning !  for  the  fear  of  thy  heart  which  thou  shalt  fear, 
and  for  the  sight  of  thine  eyes  which  thou  shalt  see." 
(Deuteronomy  xxviii,  22-24,  66-67.)  Indeed,  all  of  that 
great  chapter  of  Deuteronomy  from  verse  15  to  the  end 
makes  good  collateral  reading  for  this  sixteenth  chapter. 

"  And  the  fifth  poured  out  his  bowl  upon  the  throne  of 
the  beast,  and  his  kingdom  was  darkened,  and  they 
gnawed  their  tongues  for  pain  and  blasphemed  the  God 
of  heaven  because  of  their  pains  and  their  sores;  and 
they  repented  not  of  their  works." 

As  Christ  reigns  from  Mount  Zion  symbolic  of  the 
true  church,  so  Satan  reigns  from  Babylon,  symbolic  of 
the  counterfeit  church.  We  see  in  the  next  chapter  the 
harlot  woman  riding  the  beast,  and  her  mystic  name  is 
Babylon.  The  judgment  here  falls  on  the  hierarchy  rest- 
ing on  a  union  of  church  and  state.  Its  ancient  power 
is  stripped  away;  confidence  in  its  holiness  is  lost;  the 
world  marvels  that  it  was  once  so  glorified  and  its  blas- 
phemous pretensions  recognized. 


220  REVELATION  [xv-xvi 

"  And  the  sixth  poured  out  his  bowl  upon  the  great 
river,  the  river  Euphrates,  and  the  water  thereof  was 
dried  up,  that  the  way  might  be  made  ready  for  the  kings 
that  come  from  the  sunrise." 

Here  we  must  recall  the  historical  background  which 
suggests  imagery.  There  was  a  real  Babylon,  ancient 
foe  to  national  Israel.  It  was  situated  on  both  sides  of 
the  Euphrates,  which  constituted  its  reliance  for  defence. 
Your  attention  has  been  called  in  the  preliminary  ob- 
servations to  the  method  employed  by  the  armies  of 
Cyrus  in  diverting  the  waters  through  canals  reaching 
around  the  city  on  both  sides,  so  that  through  its  empty 
channel  they  might  enter  the  city  and  capture  it.  Both 
Jeremiah  and  Revelation  confirm  the  disputed  account 
of  Xenophon.  But  our  concern  just  now  is  to  interpret 
the  mystic  Euphrates. 

The  author  believes  it  to  signify  all  that  mighty  con- 
flux of  sentiment,  superstition  and  false  doctrine  erected 
to  support  the  Romanist  pretensions.  Through  many 
centuries  by  schools,  monasteries,  nunneries,  diplomacies 
and  other  means,  this  sentiment  had  been  created  and  had 
supported  the  mystic  city.  It  was  the  counter-teaching, 
culminating  in  the  Reformation,  which  dried  up  this 
Euphrates. 

"  And  I  saw  coming  out  of  the  mouth  of  the  dragon, 
and  out  of  the  mouth  of  the  beast,  and  out  of  the  mouth 
of  the  false  prophet  three  unclean  spirits,  as  it  were 
frogs;  for  they  are  spirits  of  demons,  working  signs; 
which  go  forth  to  the  kings  of  the  whole  world,  to  gather 
them  together  unto  the  war  of  the  great  day  of  God 
the  Almighty." 

If  we  have  been  correct  in  our  interpretation  in  the 
drying  up  of  the  Euphrates  by  the  Reformation  teaching, 
then  those  symbolic  frogs  represent  in  some  way  the 


xv-xvi]  THE  SEVEN  PLAGUES  221 

expedients  adopted  by  the  Romanist  hierarchy  to  coun- 
teract the  Reformation  and  enable  it  once  more  to  make 
a  world-fight  for  the  supremacy.  From  history  we  will 
know  what  these  expedients  have  been. 

There  was  first  of  all  the  pretended  ecumenical  Council 
of  Trent  for  a  definite  statement  of  the  Romanist  faith. 
Ecumenical  and  Catholic  mean  literally  about  the  same 
thing,  that  is,  universal  as  opposed  to  local.  This  council 
was  not  ecumenical  in  fact  or  in  spirit.  The  vast  Greek 
ecclesiasticism,  nor  Protestant  denominations,  nor  any  of 
the  age-long  dissidents  from  the  Romanist  idea  of  the 
church,  were  represented.  Over  those  actually  present 
and  participating,  the  Italian  representatives  of  the  Pope 
completely  dominated.  This  Tridentine  confession  of 
faith,  while  divisive  in  some  respects,  was  yet  consolidat- 
ing in  another  direction.  It  drew  a  distinct  line  of  cleav- 
age and  set  up  a  definite  standard  around  which  its 
followers  might  rally,  and  did,  with  its  attendant  cate- 
chism, erect  a  strong  barrier  against  further  Protestant 
conquest.  This  was  followed  up  later  by  Papal  encyc- 
licals, resulting  in  a  complete  system  of  Mariolatry,  and 
in  1870  by  the  Vatican  Council  declaring  the  absolute 
supremacy  and  infallibility  of  the  Pope. 

Now,  we  might  fairly  identify  as  the  three  frogs: 
(i)  The  declaration  of  the  Council  of  Trent;  (2)  the 
declarations  of  the  Vatican  Council;  (3)  the  papal  en- 
cyclicals and  syllabuses,  particularly  those  completing  the 
system  of  Mariolatry.  To  those  doctrinal  declarations 
we  may  add  as  enforcers  of  the  decrees  two  mighty 
factors : 

I.  The  Inquisition,  which  long  preceded  the  Reforma- 
tion as  a  heresy  court,  tending  to  prevent  the  very  spirit 
of  the  Reformation,  became  afterwards  in  some  countries, 
particularly  Belgium  and  Holland,  the  bloodiest  tribunal 


222  REVELATION  [xv-xvi 

known  in  the  annals  of  history.    The  tools  of  the  In- 
quisition have  become  rusty  now. 

2.  But  by  far  the  most  persistent  and  aggressive  factor 
of  Romanism,  defined  above,  was  the  organization,  under 
Papal  sanction,  of  the  Jesuits,  founded  by  Ignatius 
Loyola.  This  compact,  secret,  iron  organization,  obeying 
only  the  Pope  and  its  general,  followed  the  outbreak  of 
the  Reformation,  and  has  not  only  proved  to  be  the 
strongest  buttress  of  Romanism,  but  its  most  potential 
propagandist.  Its  greatest  fields  of  operation  have  been : 
(i)  Missions;  (2)  diplomacy;  (3)  tutoring  the  children 
of  the  great.  I  repeat  that  modern  Romanism,  defined 
in  three  particulars  above,  and  led  by  the  Jesuits,  has 
aligned  its  forces  for  a  world-wide  conflict,  here  sym- 
bolically called  the  "  war  of  Har-Magedon,"  the  con- 
sideration of  which  must  be  left  to  a  subsequent  chapter. 

EXAMINATION  QUESTIONS 

ON  THE  PRELIMINARY  OBSERVATIONS 

1.  How  does  XV,  i,  present  the  plagues,  and  xv,  2-4,  present  the 
triumph  of  the  saints ;  and  xv,  5-8,  present  the  agencies  em- 
ployed ? 

2.  What  the  Old  Testament  analogue  which  suggests  most  of 
the  imagery  in  xv  and  xvi  ? 

3.  What  the  Old  Testament  analogue  of  xvi,  12,  and  what 
historian  gives  the  account  of  using  the  Euphrates  for  con- 
quest of  Babylon?  And  what  Old  Testament  prophecy  had 
forecast  the  history? 

4.  What  the  relation  between  the  "seven  thunders"  (x,  4); 
the  "  seven  plagues "  of  chapter  xv,  and  the  "  seven  bowls  of 
wrath  "of  chapter  xv,  7,  and  xvi? 

Exegesis 

5.  At  XV,  I,  in  what  sense  are  these  plagues  "the  last,"  and 
in  them  "the  wrath  of  God  finished"? 

6.  Give  briefly  the  Old  Testament  history  which  furnishes 
the  symbols  of  these  plagues. 

7.  Explain  from  Old  Testament  history  the  imagery  of  the 
"sea  of  glass  mingled  with  fire,"  at  xv,  2. 


xv-xvij  THE  SEVEN  PLAGUES  223 

8.  As  this  triumph  of  the  saints,  at  xv,  2-4,  is  here  given 
by  anticipation,  where  does  it  appear  in  detail? 

9.  Explain  the  collocation  of  the  Song  of  Moses  with  the 
Song  of  the  Lamb  at  xv,  3.  What  the  resemblance  between 
the  Song  of  Moses,  Exodus  xv,  the  song  here  and  the  later 
song  in  chapter  xix? 

10.  At  XV,  5,  explain  the  words  "  temple  "  and  "  testimony," 
and  then  tell  what  they  symbolize  and  what  the  relation  to  the 
seven  plagues. 

11.  How  does  it  appear  that  angels  carrying  the  plagues  and 
bowls  of  wrath  indicate  human  agency? 

12.  Explain  the  "  smoke  "  that  filled  the  sanctuary,  and  why 
in  this  particular  case  none  might  enter  the  sanctuary  until 
the  plagues  were  finished,  and  prove  this  from  the  next  chapter, 
and  thereby  show  the  plagues  are  punitive  and  not  chastise- 
ments. 

General  Observations  on  Chapter  xvi 

13.  Repeat  the  general  idea  of  interpretation  suggested  by 
the  analogue  Exodus  i,  15. 

14.  Show  how  a  great  preceding  judgment  is  like  in  its 
completeness  to  the  Egyptian  plagues,  and  apply  both  to  the 
case  in  hand. 

15.  What  symbolic  words  in  xvi  show  that  these  plagues 
strike  the  whole   circle   of   environment? 

16.  What  correspondence,  in  part,  do  you  find  between  the 
trumpets  of  chapter  viii  and  the  bowls  of  wrath  in  xvi,  and 
why? 

17.  The  Har-Magedon  of  xvi,  16 — explain  it  literally,  geo- 
graphically, historically  and  prophetically. 

18.  With  what  part  of  this  have  we  present  concern? 

(N.  B. — The  exegesis  of  the  war  of  Har-Magedon  reserved 
till  next  lecture.) 

Exegesis  of  Chapter  xvi,  1-14 

19.  Verses  1-2,  what  plague  of  Egypt  the  symbol  here? 

20.  Explain  pouring  this  bowl  of  wrath  on  the  earth. 

21.  The  Egyptian  plague  afflicted  the  body:  give  the  meaning 
here  and  illustrate  from  Tom  Moore's  "  Lalla  Rookh." 

22.  Verse  3 :  Explain  at  some  length  the  pouring  of  this 
bowl  of  wrath  on  the  sea:  apply  and  illustrate  the  interpreta- 
tion. 

23.  Quote  and  show  application  of  passage  from  John  Bun- 
yan. 

24.  What  Egyptian  plague  the  analogue  here?  Apply  the 
meaning  broadly  and  explain  the  significance  of  "  the  blood  of 
a  dead  man." 

25.  What  the  first  effect  of  the  apostasy  smitten  by  this 
plague? 


224.  REVELATION  [xv-xvi 

26.  Verses  4-7:  What  the  second  eflfect  of  the  apostasy 
given  in  viii,  10,  ii,  and  show  how  the  judgment  here  cor- 
responds. 

27.  In  what  two  directions  did  the  first  Egyptian  plague 
work,  and  which  one  considered  here  in  the  meaning  of  the 
symbol  ? 

28.  Verses  8,  9:  Recalling  the  fourth  trumpet  (viii,  10), 
what  the  third  effect  of  the  apostasy,  the  meaning  of  the  sym- 
bol there,  and  the  nature  and  fitness  of  the  corresponding 
judgment  here? 

29.  Illustrate   from   farewell  address  of   Moses. 

30.  Verses  10,  11 :  Explain  the  throne  of  the  beast. 

31.  Verse  12:  What  the  historic  background  furnishing  this 
symbolism,  and  what  the  meaning  of  the  Euphrates  here,  and 
how  larought  about,  and  how  long  unshaken,  and  then  by  what 
dried  up? 

32.  Verses  13,  14:  In  general  terms  the  meaning  of  the 
three  frogs?     And  the  purpose? 

22.     In    specific   terms? 

34.  What  two  factors  greatly  helped  to  enforce  these  decrees? 

35.  In  what  ways  have  the  Jesuits  most  helped  Rome? 


XV 

THE  WAR  OF  ARMAGEDDON 

Revelation  XVI,  14-21,  with  Brief  Survey  of 
Chapter  XVII 

ORDINARILY  it  would  be  out  of  proportion  to 
devote  a  whole  chapter  to  a  few  verses,  but  oc- 
casionally we  find  a  single  paragraph  so  pregnant 
with  meaning  that  it  cannot  be  unfolded  in  a  few  words. 
Particularly  is  there  a  call  for  careful  and  extended 
treatment  when  the  imagery  of  the  paragraph  makes 
such  an  appeal  to  the  imagination  that  the  ignorant  and 
unwary,  without  helm,  chart  or  compass,  drift  away  into 
seas  of  fanciful  interpretation,  losing  all  practical  benefit 
in  the  sonorous  roll  of  words,  or  in  the  highly  wrought 
figures  of  speech.  Many  a  preacher,  beguiled  by  the 
sound  of  words,  has  made  shipwreck  of  a  sermon  and 
bewildered  his  congregation  by  attempting  to  expound, 
without  understanding  them,  texts  like  these :  "  Garments 
rolled  in  blood,"  "  Blood  up  to  the  bridles  of  the  horses," 
"  War  of  the  great  day  of  the  Almighty  God  at  Arma- 
geddon," *'  Multitudes,  multitudes  in  the  Valley  of  De- 
cision," and  certain  people  like  to  hear  sermons  on  these 
blood  and  thunder  texts.  I  am  quite  sure  that  none  of 
Creasy's  "  Decisive  Battles  of  the  World,"  nor  all  of  them 
put  together,  have  taken  such  a  hold  upon  the  imagina- 
tion of  the  people  as  the  battle  at  Armageddon.  Even 
Mr.  Roosevelt,  in  a  recent  presidential  campaign,  insisted 
that  he  was  fighting  the  battle  of  Armageddon. 

226 


226  REVELATION  [xvi-xvn 

2.  My  second  observation  is  that,  whatever  the  passage 
means,  the  context  hmits  the  apphcation  to  the  final 
struggle  between  the  true  church  and  the  counterfeit 
church.     It  has  no  other  appHcation. 

3.  Whatever  the  passage  means,  it  must  precede  the 
Millennium,  and  prepare  the  way  for  it,  and  consequently 
it  has  no  reference  to  Satan's  last  struggle  for  supremacy 
as  set  forth  after  the  Millennium  in  Revelation  xx,  7-10. 
Nor  is  it  a  reference  to  the  great  judgment  day  described 
in  the  twentieth  chapter  of  Revelation  from  the  nth  to 
the  15th  verses. 

4.  Particularly  I  would  have  you  know  that  this  gath- 
ering of  the  nations  together  in  the  war  of  the  great  day 
of  God  the  Almighty,  at  the  place  called  Armageddon, 
results,  as  expressly  stated,  from  the  three  unclean  spirits 
that  went  forth  out  of  the  mouth  of  the  dragon,  and  out 
of  the  mouth  of  the  beast,  and  out  of  the  mouth  of  the 
false  prophet.  It  is  a  gathering  under  their  influence ;  an- 
other gathering  under  some  other  influence  is  not  to  be 
considered. 

5.  You  must  know,  if  there  be  any  truth  in  the  inter- 
pretation given  in  a  preceding  chapter,  that  the  general 
purpose  of  the  sending  forth  of  these  three  unclean  spirits 
was  to  rally  and  solidify  the  Romanist  hosts  after  they 
were  shattered  by  the  outbreak  of  the  Reformation,  and 
to  establish  a  bar  to  the  further  progress  of  that  Reforma- 
tion, and  to  supply  means  of  war  with  which  to  regain 
for  Rome  absolute  supremacy  over  all  states  and  all  re- 
ligions. That  was  the  purpose.  It  is  not,  indeed,  the 
last  battle  between  Satan's  kingdom  and  the  Kingdom  of 
our  Lord,  as  we  shall  see  later,  but  it  is  the  last  war  be- 
tween the  true  church  and  the  counterfeit  church.  So 
stated  and  limited,  it  is  a  fight  to  the  finish.  And  when 
this  war  is  over,  never  more  will  the  woman  in  purple 


xvi-xvn]  ARMAGEDDON  227 

and  scarlet  re-appear  in  the  history  of  mankind.  Satan 
will  come  again  in  two  more  wars,  but  that  harlot,  drunk 
with  the  blood  of  the  saints,  will  disappear  forever. 

6.  The  next  observation  is  that  while  the  imagery  of 
war  supplies  the  symbols,  we  must  be  careful  not  to  in- 
terpret the  symbol  literally.  It  is  a  spiritual  conflict, 
figuratively  set  forth  in  the  terms  of  war  and  blood,  as 
when  Paul  uses  the  terms  of  the  Isthmian  Games  and 
conflicts  in  the  arenas  of  the  Greek  and  Roman  amphi- 
theatres to  set  forth  spiritual  conflicts.  No  sane  exposi- 
tor would  interpret  Paul's  language  literally. 

The  interpretation  of  the  preceding  chapters  gives  us 
the  wilderness  period  of  the  church,  from  a.d.  250  to 
1 5 10,  and  that  the  outbreak  of  the  Reformation  com- 
mencing early  in  the  sixteenth  century  gave  a  severe  and 
lasting  shock  to  the  Papal  hierarchy.  And  the  sending 
out  of  these  three  unclean  spirits  now  is  to  recover  from 
that  shock  of  the  Reformation.  If  the  nations  are  to  be 
gathered  together  for  that  purpose,  and  if  you  lose  sight 
of  the  end  in  view,  you  fail  to  interpret  the  three  unclean 
spirits.  We  found  in  that  chapter  that  three  expedients 
were  adopted  by  the  Romanists  to  rally  and  solidify  their 
own  people,  to  bar  the  further  progress  of  the  Reforma- 
tion and  to  re-establish  their  former  claims  to  absolute 
supremacy  over  civil  governments  and  all  religions,  and 
when  we  look  in  history  to  find  some  fulfilment  of  the 
work  done  by  these  unclean  spirits,  we  find  just  three 
things;  I  confess  I  am  able  to  find  no  other  things  as 
the  result  of  their  work. 

First,  the  declaration  of  the  Council  of  Trent,  with 
its  attendant  profession  of  faith  drawn  up  by  the  Pope, 
and  its  catechism  on  the  doctrines,  drawn  up  under  his 
direction.     That  is  the  first  thing  they  did  to  bar  the 


228  REVELATION  [xvi-xvn 

further  progress  of  Protestantism  that  broke  out  earlier 
in  the  century.  Now  in  1563  the  first  unclean  spirit,  the 
first  frog,  brought  out  his  work. 

Second,  the  dogmatic  decrees  of  the  Vatican  Council, 
held  in  a.d.  1870,  setting  forth  the  infallibility  of  the  Pope. 

Third,  the  ex-cathedra  utterances  of  the  so-called  infal- 
lible Pope,  particularly  in  the  various  utterances  con- 
cerning the  Virgin  Mary,  who  is  declared  to  be  free 
from  the  taint  of  original  sin,  and  second,  from  actual 
sin ;  third,  her  assumption  in  heaven ;  and  fourth,  her 
being  made  the  Queen  of  Heaven.  As  the  Pope  ex- 
pressed in  one  of  his  encyclical  letters :  "  Mary  is  the 
fountain  of  all  grace,  and  the  only  hope  of  salvation." 

Fourth :  Another  one  of  these  documents,  issued  by  the 
Pope  in  1863,  entitled  the  "  Syllabus  of  Errors,"  that  which 
he  called  errors  in  the  teaching  of  science,  errors  in  states- 
manship, errors  in  doctrines,  enumerating  them  and  de- 
nouncing them  with  anathemas.  Then,  again  in  1885,  he 
sent  out  another  encyclical  letter  concerning  the  Christian 
constitution  of  states,  making  all  states  and  all  govern- 
ments subordinate  to  the  Pope.  Then  another  encyclical 
letter  in  1888,  in  which  he  expressly  condemns  "  modern 
Liberties  " ;  liberty  of  worshipping  according  to  the  dic- 
tates of  the  conscience,  liberty  of  speech,  liberty  of  the 
press,  the  liberty  in  teaching  by  the  states — for  instance, 
having  a  free  school  system, — the  liberty  of  conscience — 
that  your  conscience  must  be  put  under  the  guidance  of 
the  Pope  and  the  confessors.  These  are  the  distinguish- 
ing characteristics  of  modern  Romanism,  commencing  in 
that  Council  of  Trent  held  in  1563  and  culminating  in 
1888,  I  say,  that  make  modern  Romanism,  to  wit:  Papal 
infallibility,  Mariolatry,  Supremacy  over  nations. 

Fifth :  The  worship  of  Mary,  making  her,  instead  of 
the  Holy  Spirit,  the  mediator  between  the  sinner  and  the 


xvi-xvii]  ARMAGEDDON  229 

Savioun  They  have  drawn  pictures  of  Christ  in  the 
background,  angry,  with  Mary  standing  between  Him 
and  the  sinner,  and  softening  His  wrath  toward  the  sin- 
ner. I  repeat :  The  decrees  of  the  Council  of  Trent,  the 
dogmatic  decrees  of  the  Vatican  Council,  and  the  various 
Papal  encyclical  letters  whose  authority  rests  on  his  own 
declared  infallibility,  these  did  rally  the  Roman  forces; 
they  did  bar,  in  certain  states,  the  progress  of  the  Ref- 
ormation; they  did  make  the  battle-line  upon  which 
Rome  seeks  to  regain  absolute  supremacy  over  all  states, 
religions,  and  all  consciences. 

We  have  seen  in  a  previous  chapter  that  for  quite  a 
while  the  Inquisition,  established  long  before  this  time, 
was  a  mighty  factor  in  enforcing  these  decisions.  And 
we  have  found  that  the  Society  of  Jesus,  or  the  Jesuits, 
was  the  next  mightiest  factor  in  the  propagandism  of 
this  new  delineation  of  doctrines.  Now,  I  say  that  the 
object  of  all  these  expedients  was  to  gather  the  nations 
in  hostile  array  against  what  has  been  set  forth  as  the 
true  church  and  the  pure  gospel,  and  the  result  is  a  con- 
flict, not  a  single  battle,  but  a  war.  The  Greek  word  is 
not  "  battle,"  but  is  "  war,"  called  here  the  war  of  the 
great  day  of  God  the  Almighty,  at  the  place  called  in 
Hebrew  Har-Magedon. 

The  interposition  of  God  is  said  here  in  our  lesson  to 
be  a  coming  of  the  Lord :  "  Behold,  I  come  as  a  thief 
in  the  night"  (15th  verse  of  our  lesson).  It  is  not  His 
final  advent,  but  it  is  His  coming  in  judgment  upon  this 
counterfeit  church.  Now,  your  lesson  shows  that  the 
expression  of  His  judgment  in  this  outpouring  of  this 
seventh  bowl  of  wrath,  and  the  symbols  which  set  forth 
the  degree  of  the  wrath  are  various :  Lightnings,  voices 
and  thunders,  a  great  earthquake  such  as  was  not  since 
there  were  men  upon  the  earth ;  a  great  hail,  every  hail- 


230  REVELATION  [xvi-xvn 

stone  weighing  about  a  talent  (a  hundred  pounds). 
Maybe  some  of  you  think  that  is  too  big  for  a  hailstone, 
but  I  will  tell  you  that  hailstones  have  fallen  as  big  as  a 
small  house,  weighing  many  tons.  Hailstones  fell  near 
Lisbon,  one  of  which  would  sink  a  ship  in  the  harbor. 
So  you  need  not  get  scared  at  a  hundred  pound  hailstone. 

Now,  the  results  of  the  wrath  are  said  to  be : 

First:  The  utter  overthrow  of  the  mystic  city  of  Baby- 
lon the  Great.  When  the  Reformation  broke  out  it  re- 
ceived a  shock,  that  was  the  earthquake,  and  a  tenth  part 
of  the  city  was  destroyed.  But  here  all  the  parts  fell 
away  from  each  other;  that  is  total  destruction. 

Second:  The  downfall  of  the  cities  of  the  states  of 
the  supporting  nations. 

Third:  The  falling  away  of  every  island  and  moun- 
tain stronghold. 

I  am  just  giving  you  the  symbols  here.  The  complete- 
ness of  the  overthrow  is  expressed  in  a  voice  from  the 
throne :  "  It  is  done."  "  He  said :  Let  there  be  light, 
and  there  was  light."  Or  they  recall  the  words  of  Christ 
on  the  cross :  "  It  is  finished  "  ;  the  expiation  is  finished ; 
nothing  more  to  be  done  to  it  throughout  eternity.  So, 
when  this  last  bowl  of  wrath  is  poured  out  on  this  mystic 
city  of  Babylon,  it  is  done;  that  lightning  never  has  to 
strike  again.  Our  paragraph  puts  into  one  compact  sen- 
tence the  downfall  of  the  mystic  city  of  Babylon,  but 
both  of  the  following  chapters,  xviiandxviii,  are  employed 
to  identify  this  great  city,  what  it  is,  and  then  to  give  the 
detail  of  its  destruction.  We  may  look  to  the  exposi- 
tion of  these  chapters  for  many  things  omitted  here,  and 
content  ourselves  for  the  present  with  this  observation : 

The  lightning,  the  thunders,  the  earthquake,  the  hail, 
are  all  natural  phenomena  used  figuratively  to  express  the 
overpowering  spiritual  forces. 


xvi-xvn]  ARMAGEDDON  231 

Second,  the  weapons  of  warfare  are  not  carnal,  but 
mighty  through  God  to  the  pulling  down  of  the  strong- 
holds. 

Third,  the  blood  and  carnage  are  symbols  of  spiritual 
results ;  it  is  a  war  of  light  against  darkness,  of  truth 
against  error,  of  a  pure  gospel  against  a  false  gospel. 

Fourth,  the  inner  meaning  of  the  whole  paragraph  is 
that  no  millennial  triumph  can  ever  come  to  this  earth 
until  that  great  apostasy,  in  its  persecuting  union  of 
church  and  state,  in  its  persecuting  idolatrous  hierarchy, 
in  its  blasphemous  assumption,  has  passed  away. 

The  confusion  among  the  commentators  in  their  inter- 
pretation of  the  war  of  the  great  day  of  God  the  Al- 
mighty, arises  largely  from  a  disregard  of  the  context. 
Our  interpretation  puts  into  one  section  everything  from 
the  twelfth  chapter  and  ist  verse  to  the  nineteenth 
chapter  and  loth  verse,  and  the  theme  of  that  entire  sec- 
tion is  the  conflict  between  the  true  church  of  our  Lord, 
regarded  as  an  institution,  and  Satan's  counterfeit  church, 
regarded  as  an  institution.  This  conflict  does  not  last 
until  the  end  of  the  world,  but  its  culmination  does  pre- 
pare the  way  for  the  introduction  of  the  Millennium.  The 
wrath  of  God  poured  out  on  the  apostate  church,  while 
complete  in  itself,  is  not  the  wrath  which  falls  on  Satan 
and  his  followers  after  the  Millennium  (xx,  7-10),  nor  is 
it  the  final  wrath  of  the  General  Judgment  (xx,  11-15). 

In  general  terms  this  book  discusses  four  wars  con- 
ducted by  Satan  against  the  Kingdom  of  God.  First,  he 
uses  the  Pagan  Roman  Empire  by  its  persecutions  to 
drive  the  true  church  into  the  wilderness,  culminating 
about  A.  D.  250;  and  he  was  defeated  because,  as  you 
will  recall,  the  Pagan  Roman  Empire  like  a  burning  vol- 
cano was  turned  over  into  the  sea.  His  second  war  was 
from  the  same  centre,  the  city  of  Rome.     He  constructs 


232  REVELATION  [xvi-xvn 

a  so-called  Holy  Roman  Empire,  a  politico-religious  per- 
secuting empire,  with  a  Pope  instead  of  a  Caesar  as  the 
head,  and  with  the  woman  in  purple  and  scarlet  as  the 
counterfeit  church. 

Now,  we  followed  that  war  in  the  first  campaign,  up  to 
the  Reformation  in  the  beginning  of  the  l6th  century,  and 
the  second  campaign  commences  with  our  lesson  here 
with  the  sending  forth  of  the  three  unclean  spirits  to 
break  the  force  of  the  Reformation  and  to  gather  together 
the  nations  against  the  true  church.  By  looking  into 
history  as  I  have  told  you,  we  are  unable  to  find  but  three 
expedients  that  those  three  unclean  spirits  or  demons 
could  have  devised  for  that  purpose.  These  three  I  have 
described  to  you  as  the  so-called  ecumenical  Council  of 
Trent,  the  dogmatic  decrees  of  the  so-called  ecumenical 
Vatican  Council,  and  the  several  Papal  utterances  whose 
authority  rested  on  the  claimed  Papal  infallibility.  These 
are  the  three  things  in  history  that  constitute  modern 
Romanism ;  nothing  else  in  history  can  be  found  to  fulfil 
those  13th  and  14th  verses  of  the  sixteenth  chapter  about 
the  three  unclean  spirits  going  forth. 

What,  then,  is  the  war  of  the  great  day  of  God  the  Al- 
mighty culminating  at  "  the  place  called  in  Hebrew  Har- 
Magedon  "  ?  Laying  aside  all  figures  of  speech,  it  is  the 
war  against  the  declarations  of  the  Council  of  Trent, 
against  the  dogmatic  decrees  of  the  Vatican  Council, 
against  the  various  Papal  utterances  embodied  in  various 
encyclical  letters,  and  in  the  Syllabus  of  Errors. 

In  Schaff's  "  Creeds  of  Christendom,"  partly  in  volume 
one,  but  mainly  in  volume  two,  you  may  find  both  the 
history,  the  exposition,  and  the  text  of  all  these  docu- 
ments, and  they  do  define  modern  Romanism.  They 
draw  the  line  of  cleavage,  and  statesmen  of  Europe  and 
America  recognize  them  to-day  as  the  hardest  problems 


xvi-xvu]  ARMAGEDDON  233 

of  statecraft.  Bismarck  found  it  so;  Gladstone  found  it 
so,  and  wrote  one  of  the  most  remarkable  books  of  the 
age,  to  wit :  "  Vaticanism."  Our  presidents  find  it  so,  and 
in  my  opinion  our  last  two  presidents  tripped  right  on 
that  point,  as  I  think  1  could  prove.  These  United  States, 
with  all  their  territorial  possessions,  are  to-day  at  the  place 
"  called  in  Hebrew  Har-Magedon."  The  war  is  now  on, 
in  the  press,  in  the  schools,  in  the  municipal,  county, 
state,  and  national  elections,  in  the  pulpits,  in  the  Con- 
gress and  before  the  courts.  There  can  be,  I  repeat,  no 
Millennium  until  the  battle,  on  these  definite  lines  drawn 
by  Romanism,  is  fought  to  a  finish.  The  preacher,  the 
politician,  the  statesman,  who  has  not  these  books  that  I 
have  named  should  sell  his  coat,  if  need  be,  and  buy 
them,  and  when  he  has  bought  them  should  study  them 
profoundly,  should  study  volume  one  of  Schaff's  "  Creeds 
of  Christendom  "  from  page  83  to  191,  and  volume  two 
from  page  96  to  271,  and  then  from  page  555  to  602,  It 
would  take  up  twenty  chapters  to  go  over  and  give  you 
the  details  of  it,  and  you  will  never  understand  Armaged- 
don, you  will  not  even  know  the  nature  of  the  war,  you 
will  not  know  the  chief  obstruction  in  the  way  of  the  com- 
ing of  the  Millennium,  unless  you  study  them.  The  issue 
of  that  war  closes  up  the  second  war  of  Satan.  I  told 
you  that  our  book  treated  of  four  wars ;  that  is  the  close 
of  the  second  war.  The  third  one  will  be  found  to  com- 
mence with  the  nth  verse  of  the  nineteenth  chapter,  and 
going  on  through  that  chapter.  And  in  that  war  there 
will  be  fulfilled  the  remarkable  prophecy  of  Isaiah  Ixiii, 
1-6;  Ezekiel  xxxvi  and  xxxvii;  Daniel  xi,  45-xii,  i ;  Joel 
iii,  1-21 ;  Zechariah  xii,  i-xiii,  i;  Romans  xi,  11-31. 
And  we  must  have  a  chapter  on  that  because  in  it  is  in- 
volved the  conversion  of  the  whole  Jewish  nation  in 
one  day,  which  must  come  before  the  Millennium. 


REVELATION  [xvi-xvii 

Now,  the  fourth  and  last  war  of  Satan  in  this  book 
is  the  one  described  in  the  twentieth  chapter,  7th  to  loth 
verses.  Will  you  keep  those  wars  distinct  in  your  mind  ? 
First,  the  war  using  Pagan  Rome  as  a  persecutor;  sec- 
ond, the  war  using  Papal  Rome  as  a  persecutor ;  third, 
the  war  culminating  in  the  salvation  of  the  Jews ;  fourth, 
the  war  after  the  Millennium.     They  are  all  in  this  book. 

As  the  whole  of  the  following  chapter  simply  identifies 
and  defines  the  scarlet  woman,  and  the  following  chapter 
gives  the  details  of  the  downfall,  I  will  put  the  questions : 

1.  Who  is  the  woman  in  purple  and  scarlet  riding  upon 
the  beast  in  this  chapter  ?  That  is  the  Roman  hierarchy, 
the  counterfeit  church  as  an  institution. 

2.  What  is  meant  by  the  many  waters  upon  which  she 
sits?  The  last  of  the  chapter  tells  you  that  the  waters 
mean  many  nations,  tongues,  kindred  and  people. 

3.  What  is  the  meaning  of  this  woman  being  found  in 
the  wilderness?  We  found  that  radiant  woman  in  the 
wilderness  several  chapters  back,  and  this  woman  was 
not  in  the  wilderness.  It  is  the  scarlet  woman  that  is  in 
the  wilderness  now.  That  means  that  her  power  is  taken 
away,  and  she  is  ready  to  receive  her  doom, 

4.  What  is  meant  by  being  full  of  the  names  of  blas- 
phemy? Our  previous  chapter  has  described  them.  It 
is  blasphemy  for  a  man  to  assume  to  be  infallible;  it  is 
blasphemy  for  a  man  to  claim  to  be  the  head  of  the 
church ;  it  is  blasphemy  for  a  man  to  claim  to  be  Christ's 
vicar  on  earth;  it  is  blasphemy  to  say  that  the  prayers 
and  manipulations  of  the  officiating  priest  actually  create 
God  in  changing  the  bread  and  wine  into  the  real  flesh  and 
blood  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ ;  it  is  blasphemy  to  wor- 
ship the  wafer  as  it  is  carried  along  in  a  procession, 
called  the  "  Procession  of  the  Host " ;  it  is  blasphemy  to 
address  a  woman  as  the  "  Fountain  of  all  grace  and  the 


xvi-xvn]  ARMAGEDDON  235 

only  hope  of  salvation,"  and  so  I  could  go  on  for  hours 
telling  you  the  blasphemies. 

5.  What  is  meant  by  the  cup  of  abomination,  the  un- 
clean things  of  her  fornication?  I  have  told  you  that 
fornication,  spiritual  fornication  or  adultery,  means 
idolatry.  It  v^as  idolatry  for  the  national  Israel,  claiming 
to  be  the  wife  of  Jehovah,  to  worship  idols.  Now  this 
woman  mixes  in  her  cup  various  abominations,  and  she 
makes  the  kings  of  the  earth  drink  out  of  this  cup. 

6.  What  is  the  mystic  name  of  this  woman?  "  Mystery, 
Babylon  the  Great,  the  mother  of  the  harlots  and  the 
abominations  of  the  earth."  As  there  was  a  historic 
Babylon  on  the  Euphrates,  here  this  woman  in  the  last 
verse  of  the  chapter  is  expressly  declared  to  be  a  city. 
There  is  a  mystic  Babylon,  this  woman  in  purple  and 
scarlet,  who  is  also  a  city. 

7.  What  is  meant  by  her  being  drunk  with  the  blood 
of  the  saints  and  the  blood  of  the  martyrs?  It  means 
that  from  the  constitution  of  that  hierarchy  to  the  pres- 
ent time  she  has  used  the  thumbscrew,  the  rack,  the 
dungeon,  and  the  ax,  and  other  forms  of  torture  in  put- 
ting to  death  the  people  who  worship  God  according  to 
the  dictates  of  their  consciences.  The  bloodiest  pages  in 
the  annals  of  time  record  the  martyrdoms  done  under 
the  directions  of  this  church.  When  on  St.  Bartholo- 
mew's Eve,  Admiral  Coligny  of  France  and  so  many 
thousands  of  other  Huguenots  were  put  to  death  in  the 
city  of  Paris,  as  soon  as  the  news  got  to  Rome  the  bells 
of  the  Cathedral  were  set  to  ringing,  and  the  whole 
city  was  full  of  the  chimes  because  the  streets  of  Paris 
were  reeking  red  with  blood  of  the  martyrs.  They  sang 
a  "  Te  Deum  Laudamus "  to  celebrate  this  atrocious 
wholesale  murder. 

8.  What  is  the  beast  upon  which  she  sits  ?    I  told  you 


236  REVELATION  [xvi-xvii 

that  that  beast  was  the  new  government  that  Satan 
caused  to  rise  up  to  take  the  place  of  Pagan  Rome,  the 
Holy  Roman  Empire.     That  is  the  beast. 

9.  What  is  meant  by  saying  that  the  beast  had  seven 
heads?  The  explanation  is  this,  as  you  will  see  lower 
down,  that  five  of  these  heads  have  fallen,  one  is,  and 
another  is  to  be,  and  the  eighth  will  be  of  the  seventh.  Now, 
what  are  these  seven  heads  ?  I  have  already  given  them 
to  you,  Egypt  and  Assyria,  that  had  passed  away  before 
Daniel's  time,  and  then  four,  Babylon,  Persia,  Greece 
and  Rome.  As  he  saw  them,  that  makes  six.  Five  of 
them  had  passed  away,  but  in  John's  time  the  sixth  had 
not  passed  away.  When  it  did  soon  pass  away  came 
the  seventh,  the  union  of  church  and  state  in  the  Holy 
Roman  Empire,  and  the  eighth  was  of  the  seventh,  that 
was  the  Papal  head,  which  was  part  of  the  seventh. 

10.  What  is  meant  by  the  ten  horns?  The  chapter 
tells  you  that  the  ten  horns  are  ten  kingdoms  that  had 
not  yet  risen  in  John's  time.  Pagan  Rome  was  not  yet 
disintegrated,  but  it  will  be  disintegrated  in  a  few  cen- 
turies, and  out  of  its  ruins  will  come  up  the  ten  king- 
doms. And  these  kingdoms  for  quite  a  while  will  sup- 
port the  woman  in  purple  and  scarlet  and  then  these 
kingdoms  will  turn  and  rend  the  woman  in  purple  and 
scarlet. 

All  the  latter  half  of  this  chapter  tells  exactly  what 
the  first  half  means  and  next  time  we  will  take  up  the 
details  of  the  fall  of  Babylon. 

EXAMINATION  QUESTIONS 

1.  Why  devote  a  chapter  to  the  paragraph  xvi,  14-21  ? 

2.  Does  the  paragraph  describe  a  war  or  a  battle? 

3.  What  the  name  of  the  war? 

4.  What  the  cause  of  the  war?     (Read  verses  13  and  14.) 

5.  What  the  date  and  occasion  of  the  beginning  of  the  war? 


xvi-xvii]  ARMAGEDDON  237 

6.  What  the  expedients  devised  by  the  three  unclean  spirits 
to  restore  Romanist  supremacy,  and  in  what  books  do  you 
find  the  history,  exposition  and  text  of  these  documents,  giving 
volume  and  pages? 

7.  What,  then,  is  this  war? 

8.  How  do  you  account  for  the  confusion  of  commentators 
in  interpreting  the  paragraph? 

9.  What  the  symbolic  name  of  the  place  of  the  conflict,  and 
why  that  name  chosen  as  a  symbol  ? 

ID.     Is  this  war  now  on? 

11.  Is  it  on  in  this  country,  and  if  so  in  what  arenas? 

12.  Wha^t,  then,  the  real  place  of  conflict  symbolized  by  Har- 
Magedon? 

Answer:  Anywhere  in  the  world  where  the  battle  rages. 

13.  Are   the   weapons   carnal   or   spiritual? 

14.  Between  what  two  institutions  the  war,  and  to  what  must 
the  interpretation  of  the  paragraph,  whatever  its  meaning,  be 
strictly   limited? 

15.  How  is  the  divine  interposition  represented,  and  does 
that  refer  to  our  Lord's  final  advent?      (See  verse  15.) 

16.  What  symbol  represents  the  divine  wrath? 

17.  What  is  meant  by  "  the  air "  on  which  the  wrath  is 
poured  ? 

Answer :  The  air  represents  general  public  opinion  and 
thought  concerning  the  expedients  devised  by  the  unclean  spirits, 
and  implies  that  the  judgment  of  the  world  condemns  and  re- 
jects them. 

18.  What  symbols  express  results  of  pouring  out  the  bowl 
of  wrath  on  the  air? 

Answer:  Lightnings,  voices  and  thunders;  (2)  a  great 
earthquake  such  as  the  men  of  earth  never  saw  before;  (3)  a 
great  hail-storm. 

19.  What  one  symbol  expresses  the  wrath  on  the  mystic 
Babylon,  or  counterfeit  church? 

Answer:  "The  cup  of  the  wine  of  God's  wrath." 

20.  In  the  first  campaign  of  the  war  between  the  two 
ecclesiastical  institutions,  what  the  result  of  the  earthquake  to 
the  counterfeit  church  occasioned  by  the  Reformation,  and  the 
result  of  this  earthquake? 

Answer:  (For  answer  compare  xi,  13,  and  xiv,  13,  first  clause 
xiv,  20.) 

21.  (Concerning  the  hailstones,  how  much  avoirdupois  weight 
each  hailstone? 

22.  What  the  largest  hailstones  known  to  history? 

23.  Where  the  true  church  when  the  counterfeit  church 
commences  the  war  on  it,  and  where  the  counterfeit  church 
at  the  close  of  the  war,  just  before  the  final  judgment  falls? 
And  what  does  this  imply?  (For  answer  consult  xii,  6,  and 
xvii,  3,  which  imply  a  complete  reversal  of  public  opinion  con- 
cerning the  two  institutions.) 

24.  Describe  the  counterfeit  church. 


23S  REVELATION  [xvi-xvn 

Answer:  A  great  harlot  (xvii,  i,  and  all  of  xvii,  4-6). 

25.  What  the  meaning  of  the  symbol  "a  harlot"? 
Answer :   One  claiming  to  be  the  spouse  of  the  Lamb,  who 

turns   to   the   worship   of   idols. 

26.  What  the  meaning  of  "mother  of  harlots"? 
Answer :  Her  children  also  worship  idols. 

27.  What   the   meaning  of    "abominations"? 

Answer :  Another  name  for  the  perversions  of  the  true  wor- 
ship of   God. 

28.  What  the  meaning  of  the  "  golden  cup  in  her  hand  "  ? 

29.  What  the  meaning  of  her  gorgeous  array  in  xvii,  4? 
Answer :  This  implies  the  great  wealth  secured  from  the  world, 

by  Peter's  pence,  gifts  of  the  states,  bequests  of  the  dying, 
sale  of  indulgences,  charges  exacted  for  services  at  birth,  mar- 
riage, death  and  purgatorial  intercession,  etc.,  and  her  pompous 
state  and  imposing  ritual. 

30.  Relate  a  pertinent  and  illustrative  incident. 

Answer :  It  is  related  that  one  of  the  popes,  after  exhibiting 
his  treasures  to  a  friend,  remarked :  "  Great  change  this  from 
Peter's  day,  who  said,  'Silver  and  gold  have  I  none'";  to 
whom  the  friend  replied :  "  We  have  the  gold  which  Peter  had 
not,  but  have  we  Peter's  power  to  make  the  lame  walk?" 
(See  Acts  iii,  6,  7.) 

31.  What  the  meaning  of  "  many  waters "  on  which  the 
harlot  of  xvii,  i,  sitteth?     (For  answer  see  xvii,  15.) 

32.  What  the  meaning  of  the  beast  on  which  the  woman 
rides  in  xvii,  3? 

Answer:  The  governmental  union  of  church  and  state,  with 
the  church  on  top. 

S3-  Cite  historical  proof  of  the  blasphemies  of  the  names  of 
which  this  beast   (xvii,  3)   is  full. 

34.  Explain  the  historical  seven  heads  of  the  beast  (xvii,  3), 
why  Daniel  mentions  only  four,  how  five  had  fallen  before 
John's  time,  what  the  seventh  and  what  the  eighth,  and  how  the 
eighth  is  of  the  seventh. 

35.  Explain  the  first  clause  of  xvii,  8. 

Answer :  Pagan  Rome,  the  sixth,  was  but  will  soon  cease  with 
its  Caesar  head,  but  will  re-appear  as  the  Holy  Roman  Empire 
with  a   Papal  head,  and  it  too  will  go  into  perdition. 

36.  Explain  the  "ten  horns,"  xvii,  3.     (See  xvii,  12.) 
Answer :  These  are  the  ten  kingdoms  formed  out  of  the  dis- 
integrated   elements    of    Pagan    Rome,    but    all    united    in    sup- 
porting the  union  of  church  and  state. 

37.  How  do  you  account  for  the  change  of  attitude  in  these 
kingdoms  toward   the   counterfeit   church  as   set   forth   in   xvii, 

3,  13,  16?  ,  .  , 

Answer :  Kings  are  willing  to  support  the  beast,  i.e.,  the 
union  of  church  and  state  with  the  king  on  top  as  head  of 
church  and  state  in  his  own  realm,  but  will  resist  a  Papal 
head  of  state  and  church  in  his  realm. 

38.  What  the  mystic  name  of  the  harlot? 


xn-xvii]  ARMAGEDDON  239 

39.  What  the  real  meaning  of  the  woman?     (See  xvii,  18.) 

40.  What  classic  authors  refer  to  Rome  as  the  "  seven-hilled 
city  "  ? 

41.  These  historic  seven  hills  on  which  Rome  is  built  sym- 
bolize, according  to  the  interpretation,  seven  world-empires : 
Egypt,  Assyria,  Babylon,  Medo-Persia,  Greece,  Pagan  Rome, 
Papal  Rome.     Why  connect  so  far  back  in  interpretation? 

Answer:  Because  all  fought  the  kingdom  of  God  and  the 
underlying  principles  were  the  same  in  every  case;  because  our 
lesson  tells  us  that  in  John's  time  five  had  fallen. 


XVI 

THE  WAR  OF  ARMAGEDDON  (continued) 

Revelation  XVIII— XIX,  lo 

THIS  chapter  closes  up  the  longest  section  in  the 
book,  the  war  between  the  true  church  and  the 
counterfeit  church.  In  the  preceding  study  I 
gave  you  but  a  little  exposition  of  chapter  xvii,  because 
that  chapter  only  identifies  the  woman  in  purple  and 
scarlet,  and  because  it  is  self-explanatory.  The  latter 
half  tells  the  meaning  of  the  first  half. 

We  now  consider,  with  more  detail,  the  efifect  of  the 
outpouring  of  the  last  bowl  of  wrath  upon  the  woman 
in  purple  and  scarlet,  that  is  the  final  destruction  of 
Romanism  as  the  counterfeit  church.  Note  carefully 
the  change  from  a  woman  to  a  city.  "  I  saw  another 
angel  coming  down  out  of  heaven,  having  great  authority, 
and  the  earth  was  lightened  with  his  glory,  and  he  cried 
with  a  mighty  voice,  saying :  Fallen,  fallen,  is  Babylon  the 
great,  and  is  become  the  habitation  of  demons,  a  prison  of 
every  unclean  spirit,  and  a  cage  of  every  unclean  and 
hateful  bird."  That  is  the  announcement  sent  from 
heaven,  in  the  brilliance  of  glory  and  the  highest  extent  of 
authority,  of  the  doom  of  the  mystic  Babylon.  The 
imagery  of  this  chapter  is  borrowed,  even  to  the  very 
words,  from  the  following  prophecies  of  the  Old  Testa- 
ment :  Isaiah  xiii,  19-22,  which  describes  the  downfall  of 
the  historic  Babylon  on  the  Euphrates.     Then  in  Isaiah 

240 


xvm-xix]  ARMAGEDDON  241 

xxxiv,  9-15,  is  described  the  utter  destruction  of  Sodom 
and  Gomorrah.  Then  Jeremiah,  in  the  fiftieth  and 
fifty-first  chapters,  describes  the  destruction  of  the 
historic  Babylon.  Zephaniah,  in  the  second  chapter, 
commencing  at  the  13th  verse,  describes  the  destruction 
of  Nineveh.  Ezekiel,  in  the  twenty-sixth,  twenty-seventh 
and  twenty-eighth  chapters,  describes  the  destruction 
of  Tyre,  and  from  these  prophecies  we  get  the  very  word 
employed  in  this  chapter,  as  imagery  transferred  to  the 
mystic  Babylon.  I  have  the  space  to  recall  to  you  but 
one  of  them,  the  first  one  cited,  thirteenth  chapter  of 
Isaiah  and  19th  verse :  "  And  Babylon,  the  glory  of  the 
kingdoms,  the  beauty  of  the  Chaldeans'  pride,  shall  be  as 
when  God  overthrew  Sodom  and  Gomorrah.  It  shall 
never  be  inhabited,  neither  shall  it  be  dwelt  in  from  gen- 
eration to  generation,  neither  shall  the  Arabian  pitch  tent 
there.  But  wild  beasts  of  the  desert  shall  lie  there,  and 
their  houses  shall  be  full  of  doleful  creatures,  and  os- 
triches shall  dwell  there ;  and  wild  goats  [or  demons]  shall 
dance  there.  And  wolves  shall  cry  in  their  castles,  and 
jackals  in  the  pleasant  palaces;  and  her  time  is  near  to 
come,  and  her  days  shall  not  be  prolonged."  The  same 
language  is  employed  by  the  other  prophets  to  whom  I 
refer,  and  exactly  corresponding  to  the  language  which 
I  have  just  read,  "  is  become  a  habitation  of  demons, 
and  the  hold  of  every  unclean  spirit,  and  the  hold  of 
every  unclean  and  hateful  bird."  That  simply  means, 
that  as  the  ancient  Babylon,  after  its  destruction,  was 
never  more  inhabited,  and  wild  beasts  whelped  in  its 
palaces,  so  when  God  smites  the  mystic  Babylon,  the 
counterfeit  church  of  Romanism,  it  will  be  wiped  off 
the  face  of  the  earth. 

Read   again,   now   from  the  3d  verse :  "  For  by  the 
wine  of  the  wrath  of  her  fornication  all  the  nations  are 


242  REVELATION  [xvra-xix 

fallen,  and  the  kings  of  the  earth  committed  fornication 
with  her,  and  the  merchants  of  the  earth  waxed  rich  by 
the  power  of  her  wantonness."  That  is  the  cause  or 
reason  of  the  destruction  of  the  mystic  Babylon;  that 
her  influence  was  so  corrupt  with  the  nations  of  the 
earth  that  she  caused  its  kings  to  join  in  her  idolatries 
and  blasphemies,  and  through  the  merchandise  of  her 
wantonness,  that  is,  all  that  part  of  the  commerce  which 
relates  to  the  things  employed  in  her  service,  on  that 
account  it  is  to  be  swept  away. 

Read  the  4th  verse :  "  And  I  heard  another  voice 
from  heaven  saying,  Come  forth,  my  people,  out  of  her, 
that  you  have  no  fellowship  with  her  sins,  and  that  ye 
receive  not  of  her  plagues."  That  is  to  me  a  very  pre- 
cious verse.  It  shows  that  God  never  destroys  the  right- 
eous ;  that  if  the  righteous  have  been  associating  with  the 
evil,  before  the  judgment  falls  on  the  evil  the  righteous 
are  called  out.  We  saw  that  in  the  case  of  Sodom :  the 
angels  took  hold  of  Lot  and  dragged  him  out  of  the 
city,  saying,  ''  We  cannot  destroy  this  city  while  you  are 
in  it."  We  saw  the  same  thing  when  Korah  and  his 
family  were  about  to  be  swallowed  up  by  an  earthquake 
on  account  of  great  sin.  Everybody  else  was  required 
to  move  away  from  him,  to  get  away  from  the  danger- 
ous place  where  they  stood,  because  the  ground  on  which 
their  feet  rested  would  yawn,  crack  open,  and  they  would 
be  engulfed.  We  find  precisely  these  words  addressed 
to  the  old  Babylon.  Jeremiah  uses  the  words  precisely. 
A  great  many  of  the  Israelites  and  people  of  Judah  were 
in  captivity  in  Babylon,  and  the  prophet  says :  "  Come 
forth  out  of  her,  my  people,  that  ye  receive  not  her 
plagues." 

We  see  the  same  language  when  Jerusalem  was  de- 
stroyed.   Jesus  said  to  His  disciples :  "  When  you  see 


xvm-xix]  ARMAGEDDON  243 

the  abomination  of  desolation  spoken  of  by  the  prophet 
Daniel,  then  you  flee  to  the  mountains,  and  share  not  in 
the  doom  that  is  coming  upon  Jerusalem,"  through  the 
armies  of  Titus.  You  still  see  the  same  thing,  on  a 
much  grander  scale,  at  the  end  of  the  world.  The  earth 
cannot  be  destroyed  by  fire  while  any  Christian  is  on  it ; 
their  bodies  are  raised,  they  are  caught  up  in  the  clouds, 
and  when  no  living  Christian  and  the  dust  of  no  dead 
Christian  is  left  on  the  earth,  then  the  earth  will  be 
wrapped  in  fire. 

Another  pertinent  paragraph  is  found  in  II  Corin- 
thians :  "  Be  not  unequally  yoked  with  unbelievers,  for 
what  fellowship  hath  righteousness  and  iniquity  ?  or  what 
communion  hath  light  with  darkness?  and  what  concord 
hath  Christ  with  Belial  ?  or  what  portion  hath  a  believer 
with  an  unbeliever  ?  and  what  agreement  hath  the  temple 
of  God  with  idols  ?  for  we  are  a  temple  of  the  living  God  ; 
even  as  God  said :  I  dwell  in  them  and  walk  in  them ;  and 
I  will  be  their  God,  and  they  shall  be  my  people.  Where- 
fore, come  ye  out  from  among  them,  and  be  ye  separate, 
saith  the  Lord,  and  touch  no  unclean  thing;  and  I  will 
receive  you,  and  will  be  to  you  a  father,  and  you  shall 
be  to  me  sons  and  daughters,  saith  the  Lord  Almighty." 
Nothwithstanding  the  evil  of  the  system  of  Romanism, 
notwithstanding  the  heresy  of  its  doctrines,  there  are 
multitudes  of  truly  converted  children  of  God  on  its 
church  rolls.  Some  of  the  finest  religious  hymns,  some 
of  the  sweetest  and  most  precious  expressions  of  the 
love  of  Christ,  have  come  from  the  pens  of  individual 
Roman  Catholics ;  they  are  God's  children.  Now,  before 
this  destruction  falls  on  that  counterfeit  church,  God 
will  call  out  from  it  all  of  His  true  children.  Every  now 
and  then  there  are  secessions.  Millions  went  out  in  the 
days  of  the  Reformation;  great  multitudes  of  the  old- 


244  REVELATION  [xvm-xix 

fashioned  Catholics  went  out  after  the  Council  of  Trent ; 
they  could  not  accept  those  decrees.  All  through  his- 
tory they  have  been  going  out.  Some  never  were  in,  and 
I  think  we  belong  to  that  crowd.  But  I  am  speaking 
of  those  who  were  in,  and  I  am  glad  when  any  of  them 
come  out.  ' 

In  the  5th  verse  we  read  the  reasons  of  this  final 
sweeping  judgment:  "For  her  sins  have  reached  unto 
heaven,  and  God  hath  remembered  her  iniquities."  The 
language  of  the  Bible  on  that  point  is  very  impressive. 
God  does  not  strike  until  the  measure  of  iniquity  is  full ; 
but  when  it  is  full  He  strikes.  The  sins  of  the  Canaan- 
ites  got  so  rank  that  they  smelt  unto  heaven,  then  God 
destroyed  them  root  and  branch ;  when  Sodom's  sin  cried 
unto  heaven,  God  swept  it  away  without  pity  and  with- 
out mercy.  We  get  impatient,  oftentimes,  at  God's  pa- 
tience, His  long-suffering  with  evil,  and  we  say :  Why 
doesn't  He  hurl  His  lightning;  why  doesn't  He  strike 
down  the  wicked  ?  God  says :  "  Wait,  I  am  giving  every- 
body an  opportunity  for  repentance.  At  the  right  time 
I  will  strike,  and  when  I  strike  there  will  be  no  need  to 
strike  again.  It  will  be  complete."  Whenever  that  time 
comes,  God  remembereth  iniquities. 

I  preached  a  sermon  once  on  this  text :  "  When  he 
maketh  inquisition  for  sin,  he  remembereth."  Men  do 
evil  because  judgment  is  not  speedily  executed.  But 
after  a  while  God  will  make  inquisition,  that  means  a 
search  like  a  sheriff  with  a  search  warrant.  The  day 
I  preached  that  sermon  I  described  God's  coming  to 
the  sinner  and  entering  into  his  heart  and  shining  with 
the  light  of  His  truth  into  the  most  secret  chambers  of 
his  soul,  and  unmasking,  and  revealing,  and  bringing 
out  into  the  white  light  of  infinite  holiness  every  foul 
thing  that  man  ever  did :  "  When  he  maketh  inquisition 


xvm-xix]  ARMAGEDDON  245 

for  sin,  he  remembereth."  That  great  sermon  of  Jona- 
than Edwards  that  started  a  series  of  meetings  in  which 
a  quarter  of  a  million  people  were  converted,  "  Sinners 
in  the  Hands  of  an  Angry  God,"  from  the  text :  "  Their 
feet  shall  slide  in  due  time,"  applied  this  thought. 

The  6th  verse :  "  Render  unto  her  even  as  she  ren- 
dered, and  double  unto  her  the  double  according  to  her 
works;  in  the  cup  which  she  mingled,  mingle  unto  her 
double."  Now,  I  do  not  think  the  "  double  "  there  means 
twice  as  much.  It  is  according  to  the  old  law  of  retalia- 
tion :  "  Like  for  like :  an  eye  for  an  eye,  and  a  tooth  for  a 
tooth;  as  ye  judge  ye  shall  be  judged;  as  ye  measured 
to  others  it  shall  be  measured  unto  you."  The  punish- 
ment shall  correspond  to  the  sin.  And  now,  as  that  in- 
iquitous counterfeit  church  was  drunk  with  the  blood  of 
the  saints ;  as  she  filled  her  cup  with  idolatries,  God  gives 
her  a  cup  to  drink  filled  with  His  undiluted  wrath.  The 
punishment  shall  correspond  to  the  sin.  The  same  princi- 
ple of  righteousness  is  expressed  in  the  next  two  verses. 

"  How  much  soever  she  glorified  herself  and  waxed 
wanton,  so  much  give  her  of  torment  and  mourning ;  for 
she  saith  in  her  heart :  I  sit  a  queen  and  am  not  a  widow, 
and  shall  in  no  wise  see  mourning.  Therefore,  in  one 
day  shall  her  plagues  come,  death  and  mourning  and 
famine,  and  she  shall  be  utterly  burned  with  fire;  for 
strong  is  the  Lord  God  who  judged  her,"  In  other 
words,  as  led  by  her  pride,  she  took  the  high  seat  and 
spoke  great  swelling  words  of  blasphemy,  and  put  her 
foot  on  the  neck  of  kings  and  oppressed  the  saints,  and 
relied  upon  her  infallibility,  saying :  "  I  am  a  queen,  I 
am  not  subject  to  the  law,  and  no  mourning  shall  come 
to  me,"  so  shall  be  the  depth  of  her  fall.  It  shall  be 
as  deep  as  her  presumption  was  high. 

9th  and   loth  verses:  "And  the  kings  of  the  earth 


246  REVELATION  [xvra-xix' 

who  committed  fornication  and  lived  wantonly  with  her, 
when  they  look  upon  the  smoke  of  her  burning,  standing 
afar  off  for  the  fear  of  her  torment,  saying :  Woe,  woe, 
the  great  city,  Babylon,  the  strong  city!  For  in  one 
hour  is  thy  judgment  come."  This  is  copied  directly 
from  the  prophets ;  in  fact,  nearly  every  word  in  this  chap- 
ter is. 

They  had  an  agreement,  the  kings  and  the  Romanist 
church :  "  You  buttress  me  in  my  kingly  authority,  and 
I  will  buttress  you  in  your  Papal  chair."  There  was  a 
trade,  a  very  convenient  arrangement.  Just  like  a  munic- 
ipal sin  is  committed  by  a  grafter  who  offers  to  support 
a  certain  man  for  mayor  or  alderman,  or  chief  of  police, 
or  some  other  civil  office,  on  the  condition :  "  You  let  me 
put  my  finger  into  the  pie  and  take  out  my  plum,  and 
I  don't  care  how  many  plums  you  take  out." 

nth  verse:  "And  the  merchants  of  the  earth  weep 
and  mourn  over  her;  for  no  man  buyeth  their  mer- 
chandise any  more,"  and  this  is  her  merchandise :  "  mer- 
chandise of  gold  and  silver,  and  precious  stones,  and 
pearls  and  fine  linen  and  purple  and  silk  and  scarlet,  and 
all  thyine  wood  [or  sweet  scented  wood],  and  every  vessel 
of  ivory  and  every  vessel  made  of  most  precious  wood, 
and  of  brass  and  iron  and  marble,  and  cinnamon  and 
spice  and  incense,  and  ointment  and  frankincense,  and 
wine  and  oil  and  fine  flour,  and  wheat  and  cattle  and 
sheep,  and  merchandise  of  horses  and  chariots  and  slaves  ; 
and  the  souls  of  men." 

Ezekiel  twenty-sixth,  twenty-seventh  and  twenty-eighth 
chapters,  foretelling  the  downfall  of  Tyre,  represents  all 
who  lived  by  her  merchandise  as  bewailing  her.  Under- 
stand that  this  merchandise  here  is  not  to  be  considered 
as  merchandise  in  general,  but  is  that  part  of  the  mer- 
chandise which  was  used  up  in  supporting  this  counter- 


xviii-xix]  ARMAGEDDON  247 

feit  church,  or  in  its  ceremonies,  or  vestments ;  there  would 
be  "  Peter's  pence  "  enough  to  build  a  cathedral ;  there 
would  be  the  profit  from  the  sale  of  indulgences,  as 
when  Tetzel  travelled  over  Germany  and  sold  the  privi- 
lege of  sins  in  the  future  as  well  as  in  the  past  for  so 
much;  then  there  were  fees  for  officiating  at  birth,  the 
marriage  fees,  and  the  fees  to  get  your  father  or  mother 
out  of  purgatory,  fees  for  everything.  Then  there  were 
the  great  donations  given  by  the  conscience-stricken  dy- 
ing, donations  of  lands,  and  large  sums  of  money.  It  is 
related  that  on  one  occasion  a  Pope  led  a  visiting  friend 
into  the  treasure  house  of  the  Vatican,  and  showed  him 
the  silks  and  purple  and  laces  and  fine  linen,  opened  the 
coffers  and  showed  him  the  jewels,  diamonds,  pearls  and 
rubies,  the  gold  and  silver ;  and  said :  "  There  has  been 
a  great  change  since  the  first  Pope,  Peter,  for  he  said: 
'  Silver  and  gold  have  I  none,'  "  and  the  friend  remarked : 
"  We  have  what  Peter  had  not,  and  we  have  not  what 
Peter  had,  for  he  could  make  the  lame  man  walk  without 
the  silver  and  gold,  and  we  cannot." 

Of  course,  the  commercial  spirit  will  always  "  hurrah  " 
for  anything  that  makes  trade.  They  will  if  it  be  whis- 
key ;  they  will  if  it  be  prostitution ;  they  will  if  it  be  idol- 
atry, if  you  can  only  sell  the  images  of  the  great  goddess 
Diana  and  make  a  big  pile  of  money  by  it.  But  when 
all  that  is  broken  up  they  will  stand  off  and  wail :  "  Alas, 
Babylon  is  fallen,  and  all  of  our  trade  is  broken  up." 

But  look  at  that  last  item,  will  you  ?  "  And  merchan- 
dise in  the  bodies  and  in  the  souls  of  men."  What  was 
Luther  when  he  went  to  Rome,  and  on  bended  knees 
climbed  the  stairway  to  find  expiation  of  sin,  but  a  slave  ? 
Slaves  and  the  souls  of  men!  And  how  joyously  he 
leaped  to  his  feet  when  he  saw  that  man  is  justified  in 
the  sight  of  God  by  faith  and  not  by  works  from  condem- 


248  REVELATION  [xvm-xix 

nation  forever,  without  dependence  on  any  priest's.  "  I 
absolve  thee  " ;  God  does  the  absolving.  Slaves  and  the 
souls  of  men!  Millions  and  millions  have  been  slaves, 
slaves  to  the  blindest  superstitions,  treasuring  up  the 
cut-off  toe  nails  of  some  so-called  saint,  or  putting  in  a  vial 
or  bottle  the  tears  of  some  other  saint,  or  preserving  an 
image  that  seems  to  wink  the  eye.  You  might  as  well 
imitate  the  negro,  who  puts  a  rabbit's  foot  in  his  pocket 
for  luck,  or  nails  up  a  horseshoe  to  keep  off  the  witches ; 
it  is  the  same  principle,  exactly.  It  is  slavery,  the  worst 
form  of  slavery.  Mental  slavery  is  much  worse  than 
body  slavery. 

14th  verse :  "  And  the  fruits  which  thy  soul  lusted 
after  are  gone  from  thee,  and  all  things  that  were 
dainty  and  sumptuous  are  perished  from  thee,  and  men 
shall  find  them  no  more  at  all."  Now,  when  a  man  works 
hard  and  lives  hard,  it  does  not  hurt  if  occasionally  he  eats 
short  rations,  but  if  one  be  pampered,  feeding  at  a 
banquet  every  day,  having  every  luxury  in  the  world, 
then  if  God  sweeps  all  of  it  away,  and  turns  out 
that  glutton  barefooted  and  bankrupt,  oh,  how  he  feels 
it!  Whenever  that  is  the  prop  you  lean  on,  and  it 
breaks,  then  you  are  in  a  hard  case.  But  if  the  spirit 
of  happiness  be  in  you,  and  not  in  the  things  about  you, 
and  you  rest  in  the  eternal  joy  of  hope  and  peace  and 
love,  then  the  devil  cannot  bankrupt  you;  no  money 
panic  can  make  you  a  pauper.  But  notice  the  crowd 
that  is  weeping  over  the  downfall,  those  who  had  shared 
in  the  profits  of  the  idolatrous  business. 

Then  look  at  the  20th  verse,  and  see  who  rejoice :  "  Re- 
joice over  her,  thou  heaven  and  ye  saints,  and  ye  apostles, 
and  ye  prophets;  for  God  hath  judged  your  judgment  on 
her."  She  has  passed  her  judgment  on  you,  she  im- 
prisoned you,  burnt  you  at  the  stake ;  through  flames  your 


xvm-xix]  ARMAGEDDON  249 

soul  took  its  exodus  to  heaven.  Now,  up  in  heaven,  look 
down  and  see  your  judgment,  that  they  put  on  you,  see 
it  put  on  her.  That  is  the  crowd  that  rejoices  every  time 
an  evil  power  is  put  down.  The  good  people  are  glad; 
it  is  the  evil  people  who  are  sad.  Every  nation  that 
doeth  righteousness  maketh  the  righteous  glad. 

2ist  verse:  "And  a  strong  angel  took  up  a  stone,  as 
it  were  a  great  millstone,  and  cast  it  into  the  sea,  saying, 
Thus  with  a  mighty  fall  shall  Babylon,  the  great  city, 
be  cast  down,  and  shall  be  found  no  more  at  all."  Now, 
that  is  borrowed  outright  from  Jeremiah.  When  he 
pronounced  the  doom  on  the  ancient  Babylon,  he  wrote 
it  and  said  to  one  of  his  friends :  "  Go  to  Babylon  and 
tie  this  writing  to  a  great  stone,  and  hurl  it  into  the 
Euphrates,  and  as  it  sinks  out  of  sight  you  say:  Thus 
shall  Babylon  disappear  forever."  It  is  a  very  signifi- 
cant correspondence. 

"  And  the  voice  of  harpers  and  minstrels,  and  flute- 
players  and  trumpeters  shall  be  heard  no  more  at  all  in 
thee ;  and  no  craftsman,  of  whatsoever  craft,  shall  be 
found  any  more  in  thee;  and  the  voice  of  a  mill  shall 
be  heard  no  more  at  all  in  thee,  and  the  light  of  a  lamp 
shall  shine  no  more  at  all  in  thee ;  and  the  voice  of  the 
bridegroom  and  the  bride  shall  be  heard  no  more  at  all 
in  thee."  What  a  description  of  ruin!  If  you  were  to 
walk  amidst  the  ruins  of  Palmyra  or  Karnac,  or  stand 
in  the  ruins  of  Nineveh  or  ancient  Babylon,  never  hear- 
ing the  laughter  of  a  child,  never  seeing  a  friendly  light 
shine  in  a  window,  never  hearing  a  strain  of  music,  but 
all  desolation,  and  the  only  voice  the  voice  of  a  wild 
beast,  or  the  hoot  of  an  owl,  you  would  get  a  conception 
of  the  judgment  that  God  sends  upon  that  counterfeit 
church. 

Last  verse  of  the  chapter :  "  And  in  her  was  found  the 


g50  REVELATION  [xviii-xix 

blood  of  the  prophets,  and  of  saints,  and  of  all  that  have 
been  slain  upon  the  earth."  That  used  to  puzzle  me,  just 
like  it  puzzled  me  in  the  twenty-third  chapter  of  Mat- 
thew when  Jerusalem  was  destroyed :  "  That  upon  you 
may  come  all  the  righteous  blood  shed  on  the  earth  from 
Abel  the  righteous,  unto  the  blood  of  Zachariah,  son  of 
Barachiah,  whom  ye  slew  between  the  sanctuary  and  the 
altar."  Now,  that  apostate  church  did  not  kill  all  the 
people  of  the  Old  Testament  days,  for  it  did  not  exist. 
Then,  what  is  meant  by  saying  that  upon  it  shall  come 
all  the  righteous  blood?  The  idea  is  this:  That  the 
principle  of  persecution  is  the  same,  and  that  you  may 
pursue  that  principle  until  you  have  identified  yourself 
with  every  persecution  that  ever  has  been,  you  get  in 
you  the  spirit  of  all  past  persecutions.  It  is  the  solidar- 
ity of  sin. 

Nineteenth  chapter:  "After  these  things  I  heard,  as 
it  were,  a  great  voice  of  a  great  multitude  in  heaven." 
We  have  heard  the  earth  voices,  howling  and  complain- 
ing, now  let  us  listen  to  heaven:  "  Hallelujah;  salvation 
and  glory  and  power  belong  to  our  God;  for  true  and 
righteous  are  his  judgments;  for  he  has  judged  the 
great  harlot,  her  that  corrupted  the  earth  with  her  forni- 
cation, and  he  hath  avenged  the  blood  of  his  servants 
at  her  hand."  Think  about  that,  will  you?  To  which 
song  is  your  soul  attuned?  Will  you  weep  with  the 
wicked,  or  rejoice  with  the  saints?  In  the  book  of  the 
Psalms  there  is  a  division  called  the  "  Hallelujah  Psalms," 
and  on  Passover  occasions  what  is  called  the  "  Great  Hal- 
lei  "  is  sung ;  Jesus  and  His  apostles  sang  it  at  the  ob- 
servance of  the  Lord's  Supper,  That  is  one  of  the  most 
striking  portions  of  the  Psalms ;  it  denotes  the  highest  ex- 
pression of  joy  and  praise. 

"And  a  second  time  they  say,  Hallelujah."     Notice 


xvm-xix]  ARMAGEDDON  251 

right  after  that :  "  And  her  smoke  goeth  up  for  ever  and 
for  ever."  Hallelujah  up  yonder,  smoke  down  here;  the 
burning  of  the  counterfeit  church  and  the  glory  of  the 
saints  in  heaven  over  its  disappearance  as  a  persecuting 
agency. 

Notice  who  participate  in  the  Hallel :  "  And  the  four 
and  twenty  elders,"  those  who  represent  the  continuous 
priesthood  of  God's  people  on  earth.  "  And  the  four 
living  creatures,"  that  is,  the  four  Cherubim  that  consti- 
tute the  chariot  of  God  on  His  messages  of  mercy. 
"  They  fell  down  and  worshipped  God,  saying,  Hallelujah, 
amen."  That  is  not  all  of  it :  "  And  a  voice  came  forth 
from  the  throne,  saying:  Give  praise  to  our  God,  all  ye 
his  servants,  ye  that  fear  him,  the  small  and  the  great," 
not  only  the  Cherubim  and  the  elders,  but  let  everybody 
rejoice.  Now,  let  us  see  what  response  was  made  to 
that:  "  And  I  heard  as  it  were  the  voice  of  a  great  multi- 
tude, and  as  the  voice  of  mighty  thunders,  saying:  Hal- 
lelujah; for  the  Lord,  our  God,  the  Almighty,  reigneth. 
Let  us  rejoice  and  be  exceedingly  glad,  and  let  us  give 
the  glory  unto  him ;  for  the  marriage  of  the  Lamb  is 
come,  and  his  wife  hath  made  herself  ready,  and  it  was 
given  unto  her  that  she  should  array  herself  in  fine  linen 
bright  and  pure;  for  the  fine  linen  is  the  righteous  acts 
of  the  saints." 

Back  in  the  twelfth  chapter,  we  saw  that  radiant 
woman  driven  into  the  wilderness,  the  world  despised  her. 
Pagan  power  persecuted  her.  Papal  power  persecuted  her. 
Here  we  have  seen  the  purple  woman  go  down  in  smoke. 
I  told  you  that  this  whole  section  was  a  war  between  these 
two  women.  The  radiant  woman  not  only  comes  out  of 
the  wilderness,  but  arrays  herself  for  marriage  to  the 
Lamb.  There  are  two  pertinent  parables  in  Matthew: 
One,  in  the  twenty-second  chapter  of  Matthew,  the  para- 


252  REVELATION  [xvm-xix 

ble  of  the  marriage  of  the  King's  Son,  which  relates  to 
the  time  of  the  espousal;  and  one  in  the  twenty-fifth 
chapter  of  Matthew,  the  wise  and  foolish  virgins  which 
relates  to  the  consummation  of  the  espousal:  "Behold, 
the  bridegroom  cometh;  go  ye  out  to  meet  him." 

The  church,  conceived  of  as  an  institution,  a  time  in- 
stitution, now  becomes  the  glory  church,  wedded  to  the 
Lamb  in  heaven.  I  have  explained  what  the  righteous- 
nesses of  the  saints  mean,  in  the  chapter  on  the  promises, 
and  I  will  not  discuss  it  now. 

9th  verse :  "  And  he  saith  unto  me :  Write,  Blessed 
are  they  that  are  bidden  to  the  marriage  supper  of  the 
Lamb."  Blessed  are  they,  I  give  you  a  general  question : 
What  are  the  beatitudes  of  the  book  of  Revelation? 
Everything  that  commences  with  "  Blessed  "  is  a  beati- 
tude. Compare  them  with  the  beatitudes  in  the  Sermon 
on  the  Mount.  I  will  call  them  off  to  you :  The  first 
beatitude  is  chapter  i,  3,  then  xiv,  13,  then  xx,  6,  then 
xxii,  7.  You  write  out  all  of  these,  take  each  one  of  them 
into  your  heart,  and  you  will  see  that  our  Lord  did  not 
get  through  speaking  beatitudes  when  He  delivered  His 
sermon  on  the  mount. 

"  And  he  said  unto  me  [that  is,  the  interpreting  angel]  : 
These  are  the  true  words  of  God ;  and  I  fell  down  before 
his  feet  to  worship  him.  And  he  said  unto  me :  See  thou 
do  it  not;  I  am  a  fellow  servant  with  thee  and  with  thy 
brethren  that  hold  the  testimony  of  Jesus :  Worship  God, 
for  the  testimony  of  Jesus  is  the  spirit  of  prophecy." 

What  a  glorious  thing  the  fellowship  of  the  different 
servants  of  God !  We  do  not  worship  the  church,  we  do 
not  worship  any  one  of  these  ten  thousand  times  ten 
thousand  and  thousands  of  thousands  of  shining  angels 
of  God ;  they  are  servants  of  God ;  you  are  a  servant  of 
God.     "  See  thou  do  it  not."     They  are  working  for 


xvra-xix]  ARMAGEDDON  253 

the  same  cause  for  which  you  are  working.  Their  lot, 
for  the  present,  is  higher  than  yours,  but  don't  forget 
that  it  is  only  for  a  little  season,  and  then  you  will  be 
higher  than  they.  So  do  not  worship  any  one  that  one 
day  you  will  be  above.  The  biggest  preacher  in  the 
world  ought  to  be  glad  to  join  in  the  fellowship  of  worship 
with  the  poorest  ragged  little  street  urchin  that  ever 
found  peace  in  believing  in  Jesus  Christ.  They  stand 
together  on  a  plane  of  equality  before  an  impartial  God. 
And,  brethren,  it  has  been  one  of  the  joys  of  my  life  that 
I  have  not  despised  any  one  of  the  little  ones  that  believe 
on  Jesus  Christ.  I  would  not  turn  on  my  heel  for  the 
difference  between  the  poor  dying  beggar  that  loved  Jesus 
Christ,  and  the  fellowship  of  John  D.  Rockefeller.  They 
stand  just  exactly  even,  the  rich  and  the  poor,  for  in 
Christ  Jesus  there  are  no  rich  and  no  poor.  We  are  all 
one,  and  we  are  all  one  with  the  angels  in  service. 

EXAMINATION  QUESTIONS 

1.  From  what  Old  Testament  prophecies  is  the  imagery  of 
this  eighteenth  chapter  borrowed? 

2.  What  is  the  chief  sin  of  the  counterfeit  church,  causing 
her  downfall? 

3.  Are  there  true  children  of  God  among  the  Romanists? 

4.  How  do  they  escape  her  doom? 

5.  Give  historic  instances  of  God's  people  leaving  the  coun- 
terfeit church. 

6.  Show  from  both  Old  Testament  and  New  Testament 
analogues  that  God  does  not  destroy  the  righteous  with  the 
wicked. 

7.  Cite  Paul's  pertinent  exhortation  to  the  Corinthians. 

8.  What  is  the  meaning  in  verse  6  of  "rendering  double"? 

9.  Cite,  without  figures  of  speech,  some  of  the  merchandise 
of  the  counterfeit  church. 

ID.  Who  will  bewail  the  downfall  of  the  counterfeit  church? 
And  who  rejoice? 

11.  How  do  you  account  for  the  expression  in  the  last  verse 
of  the  chapter  that  "  in  her  was  found  the  blood  of  all  that 
had  been  slain  upon  the  earth,"  and  what  parallel  expression 
in  Matthew  concerning  Jerusalem? 

12.  What  distinction  do  you  make  between  the  parable  of 


254  REVELATION  [xvra-xix 

the  marriage  of  the  King's  son  in  Matthew  xxii,  and  the  para- 
ble of  the  wise  and  fooHsh  virgins  in  Matthew  xxv,  and  on 
what  Jewish   custom  are  both    founded? 

13.  Which    of    these    parables    is    parallel    with    Revelation 
xix,  6-9? 

14.  What  the  beatitudes  in  Revelation? 

15.  Why  is  angelolatry  a  sin? 


XVII 

THE  TRIUMPHANT  HOLY  WAR,  INTRO- 
DUCING THE  MILLENNIUM 

Revelation  XIX,  ii — XX,  13 

THIS  is  the  last  synchronous  view  in  this  book. 
The  first  one  was  from  chapter  vi,  i,  to  viii,  i, 
the  gospel  as  preached  to  the  end  of  time;  the 
second  one  was  from  viii,  2,  to  xi,  19,  the  gospel  as 
prayed  to  the  end  of  time;  the  third  one  was  from  xii,  i, 
to  xix,  10,  the  conflict  between  the  true  church  and  the 
counterfeit  church.  Now,  we  have  the  fourth  and  last 
synchronous  view;  that  is  to  say,  the  triumphant  Holy 
War  that  introduces  the  Millennium.  I  am  going  to 
put  this  study  in  the  form  of  a  catechism. 

1.  Who  is  the  hero  of  this  war?  Ans. :  Our  Lord 
Himself,  as  the  chief  captain  of  our  salvation.  Your 
lesson  says :  "  And  I  saw  the  heavens  open,  and  behold ! 
a  white  horse;  and  he  that  sat  thereon  called  Faithful 
and  True;  and  in  righteousness  he  doth  judge  and  make 
war."     The  other  references  to  Him  we  will  note  later. 

2.  What  are  His  titles  ?  Ans. :  With  reference  to  His 
covenant-keeping  with  His  people  He  is  called  faithful 
and  true.  Whatever  He  says  to  His  people  is  true,  and 
to  whatever  promise  He  makes  He  is  faithful :  Faith- 
ful and  True  is  His  name,  that  refers  to  His  people.  With 
reference  to  the  Father,  His  name  is  "  Logos,"  or  the  word 
of  God  (see  verse  13  of  your  lesson).     With  reference 

255 


256  REVELATION  [xix-xx 

to  the  nations  He  is  "  King  of  kings  and  Lord  of  lords  " 
(see  verse  i6  of  your  lesson).  With  reference  to  the 
angels  He  is  Michael,  the  Prince.  (See  Revelation  xii,  7.) 
Now  these  are  His  titles  in  four  directions :  with  reference 
to  His  people;  with  reference  to  the  Father;  with  ref- 
erence to  the  nations;  with  reference  to  the  angels. 

3.  In  the  exercise  of  what  office  is  He  here  represented  ? 
Ans. :  In  His  kingly  office  as  a  royal  conqueror,  judging 
and  making  war,  on  His  head  many  crowns. 

4.  What  the  distinction  between  His  appearance  on  the 
white  horse  here,  and  His  appearance  on  the  white  horse 
in  chapter  vi,  2;  both  times  there  comes  forth  a  white 
horse  and  rider?  Ans. :  There,  on  the  white  horse  (chap- 
ter vi).  His  weapon  was  a  bow,  shooting  arrows  of  con- 
viction into  individual  hearts,  as  the  gospel  was  preached, 
and  that  record  says  that  a  crown  was  given  Him.  But 
here,  on  His  head  are  many  crowns,  and  His  weapon 
is  a  sword  of  judgment,  smiting  nations  and  govern- 
ments, not  individuals.  There  the  bow  was  used  for  the 
salvation  of  the  hearer  of  the  gospel.  Here  the  sword  is 
to  make  all  nations  bow  to  His  supremacy  as  Lord. 

5.  Who  constitute  His  armies,  and  how  are  they  de- 
scribed ?  Ans. :  His  armies  are  the  saints,  and  they  are 
described  as  clothed  in  fine  linen,  pure  and  white.  I  will 
ask  you  to  recall  that  great  war  song,  the  one-hundred- 
and-tenth  Psalm :  "  The  Lord  saith  unto  my  Lord,  sit 
thou  at  my  right  hand  until  I  make  thine  enemies  thy 
footstool ;  the  law  shall  go  forth  from  Zion,  and  in  the 
day  that  thou  leadest  forth  thine  armies,  thy  young  men 
shall  be  volunteers,  going  forth  in  the  beauties  of  holi- 
ness and  as  multitudinous  as  the  drops  of  the  dew  at  the 
dawn  of  the  morning."  How  aptly  that  applies  here.  I 
do  not  mean  to  say  that  Christ,  in  His  body,  is  present  on 
?arth  in  this  war;  He  is  conducting  the  campaign  from 


xix-xx]        TRIUMPHANT  HOLY  WAR  257 

heaven,  and  His  armies  are  to  wage  war  here  on  this 
earth.  I  call  your  attention  again  to  another  pertinent 
Psalm :  "  The  kings  of  the  earth  set  themselves  and 
take  counsel  together  against  the  Lord  and  his  anointed ! 
Yet  have  I  set  my  king  upon  my  Holy  Hill  of  Zion,"  and 
just  exactly  what  He  does  here  is  ascribed  to  Him  in  that 
second  Psalm.  The  fine  linen,  pure  and  white,  as  I  have 
explained  to  you  in  the  lecture  on  the  promises,  expresses 
the  righteousnesses  of  the  saints,  which  they  receive  in 
justification,  regeneration  and  sanctification. 

Now,  here  comes  an  important  question :  His  people 
had  a  very  active  part  in  the  overthrow  of  the  counterfeit 
church,  but 

6.  What  part  has  His  people  in  this  war  of  judgment 
that  we  are  now  reading  about  ?  Ans. :  They  have  no 
executive  part.  We  notice  they  carry  no  weapons ;  they 
have  no  part  except  declarative,  and  to  be  witnesses  of 
His  might. 

7.  How  does  this  appear  ?  Ans. :  From  the  Old  Testa- 
ment analogues  and  prototypes ;  for  example :  Israel  bore 
no  active  part  in  the  plagues  of  judgment  sent  upon 
Egypt;  no  part  in  the  overthrow  of  Pharaoh's  host  at 
the  Red  Sea.  They  were  witnesses  and  the  Lord  fought 
the  battle.  They  had  no  part  in  the  overthrow  of 
Sennacherib  as  set  forth  in  H  Kings  xix,  35.  Now,  in 
order  that  you  may  understand  this  war,  and  what  part 
God's  people  have  in  it,  I  will  read  you  a  description  by 
Byron : 

"  The  Assyrian  came  down  like  the  wolf  on  the  fold, 
And  his  cohorts  were  gleaming  in  purple  and  gold; 
And  the  sheen  of  their  spears  was  like  stars  on  the  sea, 
When  the  blue  wave  rolls  nightly  on  deep  Galilee. 

"  Like  the  leaves  of  the  forest  when  the  Summer  is  green, 
That  host  with  their  banners  at  sunset  was  seen: 


258  REVELATION  [xix-xx 

Like  leaves  of  the  forest  when  Autumn  hath  blown, 
That  host  on  the  morrow  lay  withered  and  strown. 

"  For  the  angel  of  death  spread  his  wings  on  the  blast, 
And  breathed  in  the  face  of  the  foe  as  he  passed ; 
And  the  eyes  of  the  sleepers  waxed  deadly  and  chill, 
And  their  hearts  but  once  heaved,  and  forever  grew  still. 

"  And  there  lay  the  steed  with  his  nostril  all  wide, 
But  through  it  there  roU'd  not  the  breath  of  his  pride: 
And  the  foam  of  his  gasping  lay  white  on  the  turf. 
And  cold  as  the  spray  of  the  rock-beating  surf. 

"  And  there  lay  the  rider  distorted  and  pale, 
With  the  dew  on  his  brow  and  the  rust  on  his  mail; 
And  the  tents  were  all  silent,  the  banners  alone. 
The  lances  unlifted,  the  trumpets  unblown. 

"  And  the  widows  of  Ashur  are  loud  in  their  wail 
And  the  idols  are  broke  in  the  temple  of  Baal; 
And  the  might  of  the  Gentile,  unsmote  by  the  sword, 
Hath  melted  like  snow  in  the  glance  of  the  Lord !  " 


We  are  now  studying  one  of  the  most  important  les- 
sons in  the  book,  a  day  in  which  God  Himself  intervenes 
by  extraordinary  judgment.  It  appears  also  from  the 
description  of  this  very  battle  given  in  the  sixty-third 
chapter  of  Isaiah ;  listen  at  this :  "  Who  is  this  that 
Cometh  from  Edom,  with  dyed  garments  from  Bozrah? 
this  that  is  glorious  in  his  apparel,  marching  in  the  great- 
ness of  his  strength?  I  that  speak  in  righteousness, 
Mighty  to  save.  Wherefore  art  thou  red  in  thine  ap- 
parel, and  thy  garments  like  him  that  treadeth  in  the 
winevat?  I  have  trodden  the  winepress  alone;  and  of 
the  peoples  there  was  no  man  with  me;  yea,  I  trod  them 
in  mine  anger,  and  trampled  them  in  my  wrath,  and 
their  lifeblood  is  sprinkled  upon  my  garments,  and  I 
have  stained  all  my  raiment.  For  the  day  of  vengeance 
was  in  my  heart,  and  the  year  of  my  redeemed  is  come. 
And  I  looked,  and  there  was  none  to  help.  And  I  won- 
dered that  there  was  none  to  uphold;  therefore  mine  own 


xix-xx]        TRIUMPHANT  HOLY  WAR  259 

arm  brought  salvation  unto  me ;  and  my  wrath  it  upheld 
me.  And  I  trod  down  the  peoples  in  mine  anger,  and 
made  them  drunk  in  my  wrath,  and  I  poured  out  their 
lifeblood  upon  the  earth." 

Now,  this  is  an  exact  prophetic  description  of  the 
hero  in  this  war  as  set  forth  in  this  chapter;  the  refer- 
ences are  to  precisely  the  same  event.  We  notice  that 
He  is  just  as  much  alone  in  the  sending  of  the  judgment 
in  this  terrible  war  as  He  was  alone  when  He  sent  the 
angel  of  death  to  pass  over  the  hosts  of  Sennacherib,  the 
king  of  Assyria. 

8.  What,  then,  the  supreme  lesson  of  our  passage? 
Ans. :  God's  government  of  the  nations  and  judgments 
on  them  to  enforce  their  acknowledgment  of  His  su- 
premacy. 

9.  How  did  He  once  enforce  this  lesson  on  Nebu- 
chadnezzar and  Belshazzar?  I  think  I  had  better  quote 
that  for  you ;  it  is  an  old  lesson  that  He  is  giving.  I  will 
quote  from  the  fifth  chapter  of  Daniel  (Daniel  is  in- 
terpreting to  Belshazzar  the  handwriting  on  the  wall)  : 
"  O  thou  king,  the  most  high  God  gave  Nebuchadnezzar, 
thy  father,  the  kingdom  and  greatness  and  glory  and 
majesty;  and  because  of  the  greatness  that  he  gave  him, 
all  the  peoples,  nations  and  languages  trembled  and  feared 
before  him;  whom  he  would  he  slew,  and  whom  he 
would  he  kept  alive ;  whom  he  would  he  raised  up,  and 
whom  he  would  he  put  down.  But  when  his  heart  was 
lifted  up  and  his  spirit  was  hardened  so  that  he  dealt 
proudly,  he  was  deposed  from  his  kingly  throne,  and 
they  took  his  glory  from  him ;  and  he  was  driven  from 
the  sons  of  men,  and  his  heart  was  made  like  the  beast, 
and  his  dwelling  was  with  the  wild  asses;  he  was  fed 
with  grass  like  oxen,  and  his  body  was  wet  with  the 
dew  of  heaven;  until  he  knew  that  the  most  high  God 


260  REVELATION  [xix-xx 

ruleth  in  the  kingdom  of  men,  and  that  he  setteth  up 
over  it  whomsoever  he  will,  and  thou,  Belshazzar,  hast 
seen  that  lesson  and  hast  not  regarded  it,  and  thou  hast 
despised  the  God  of  heaven  and  of  law.  This  handwrit- 
ing comes  out  over  thy  wall :  Mene,  mene,  tekel,  upharsin. 
It  means  that  thy  kingdom  is  divided ;  it  is  measured  to 
the  Medes  and  Persians ;  thou  art  weighed  in  the  balance 
and  found  wanting." 

Now,  what  He  did  in  that  case  to  Nebuchadnezzar  and 
Belshazzar  He  is  about  to  assert  in  this  great  battle  of 
the  nations. 

10,  Under  whose  leadership  have  human  governments 
denied  the  supremacy  of  God  ?  Ans. :  Under  the  leader- 
ship of  the  devil,  who  usurped  the  kingdom  of  this  world, 
and  who  shapes  the  policies  of  worldly  governments  and 
municipalities. 

11.  This  next  is  a  very  important  question.  Since  the 
preceding  chapter  disposes  of  the  counterfeit  church  for- 
ever, why  do  the  beast  and  the  false  prophet  appear  in 
this  lesson?  The  beast  is  that  upon  which  the  counter- 
feit church  rode,  and  it  was  the  false  prophet  that  made 
the  people  worship  the  image  of  the  beast.  Now,  as 
the  counterfeit  church  is  disposed  of  before  this  event 
here,  how  is  it  that  the  beast  and  the  false  prophet  appear 
here,  and  are  taken  and  are  cast  into  the  lake  of  fire? 

My  answer  is  that,  as  was  explained  to  you  repeatedly, 
the  beast  is  a  politico-religious  government,  a  union  of 
church  and  state,  and  as  such  was  not  confined  to  Ro- 
manism; many  Protestant  kingdoms  are  just  that  way. 
Germany  is  that  way  now,  Austria  is  that  way  now,  Eng- 
land is  that  way  now.  There  is  a  union  of  church  and 
state,  and  that  is  the  beast  here.  The  woman  in  purple 
and  scarlet  is  not  riding  him,  but  some  other  ecclesiasti- 
cism  is  riding  him.     Now,  the  one  thing,  that  goes  down 


xix-xx]        TRIUMPHANT  HOLY  WAR  261 

in  this  war,  that  never  re-appears  again  in  human  history, 
is  the  union  of  church  and  state,  and  the  consequent 
persecution  of  the  saints.  That  kind  of  government  God 
does  not  favour,  unless  it  is  His  own  theocracy,  with  Him 
as  the  king,  and  He  the  sole  judge  of  what  is  religion. 

It  is  impossible  for  me  to  make  you  understand,  in 
so  brief  a  space,  what  a  tremendous  impediment  to  the 
progress  of  the  kingdom  of  Jesus  Christ  has  been  the 
union  of  church  and  state.  We  had  it  even  here  in  this 
country  in  Colonial  times.  Within  a  few  miles  of  where 
the  battle  of  Lexington  was  fought,  and  near  the  time  of 
that  battle,  the  sheriff  came  and  sold  the  choice  acres  out 
of  the  garden,  or  the  fields  of  the  Baptists  in  that  com- 
munity, put  it  up  at  auction  at  forced  sale,  in  order  to 
obtain  funds  to  build  a  church  for  another  denomination, 
that  had  few  members  in  that  community.  And  even 
John  Adams  said  to  Isaac  Backus,  the  great  Baptist  his- 
torian, when  he  went  to  him  and  asked  him  to  urge 
Massachusetts  to  allow  freedom  of  conscience:  "You 
might  as  well  expect  to  see  the  sun  rise  in  the  west  and 
set  in  the  east,  as  to  expect  Massachusetts  to  tolerate 
anything  but  state  religion." 

We  had  it  in  Virginia :  Some  of  the  most  distinguished 
Baptists  were  imprisoned,  their  property  confiscated,  and 
Patrick  Henry,  when  defending  one  of  them,  read  the 
indictment :  "  Indicted  for  preaching  the  glorious  gospel 
of  the  blessed  God."  The  way  he  said  that  shook  the 
union  of  church  and  state  in  Virginia. 

Now,  in  this  war,  the  war  that  we  are  now  studying, 
that  beast  of  the  union  of  church  and  state  is  taken  and 
cast  into  hell  forever  never  to  re-appear.  In  the  same 
way  the  false  prophet  is  taken,  and  false  prophets  are 
not  limited  to  Papacy.  The  Archbishop  of  Canterbury 
may  be  a  false  prophet  just  as  well  as  the  Pope.    When 


262  REVELATION  [xix-xx 

he  was  over  here  some  months  ago,  visiting  the  United 
States,  a  number  of  distinguished  ladies  and  gentlemen 
called  upon  him  and  asked  him  when  he  got  back  home 
to  let  the  people  alone  to  worship  God  according  to  the 
dictates  of  their  own  consciences ;  he  gave  slight  heed  to 
their  petitions.  The  Greek  church,  in  Russia  and  the 
Balkan  States,  is  also  a  national  religion.  They  fill  the 
world  with  protest  against  the  Turk  for  oppressing  their 
religion,  but  show  no  toleration  to  people  more  evan- 
gelical than  themselves.  Now,  that  is  why  the  beast  and 
the  false  prophet  appear  here. 

12.  What  the  occasion  of  this  gathering  of  the  nations 
to  battle  with  the  Lamb,  and  distinguish  between  this  con- 
flict and  the  battle  of  Har-Magedon,  which  we  have 
recently  discussed  ?  Ans. :  In  the  battle  of  Har-Mage- 
don the  Romanist  church,  as  an  institution,  was  destroyed, 
many  kings  and  governments  assisting  in  her  destruction ; 
but  the  prelude  of  this  war  is  the  return  of  the  Jews  into 
the  Holy  Land  from  every  nation  where  they  have  been 
dispersed,  and  the  nations  are  just  as  jealous  of  their 
restoration  to  and  possession  of  that  land,  as  they  were 
jealous  of  the  Romanist  supremacy,  and  they  gather  their 
armies  together  for  the  destruction  of  the  Jews  and  the 
retaking  of  the  Holy  Land. 

That  man  is  blind  who  cannot  see  the  march  of  mod- 
ern events:  the  railroad  that  Germany  is  building  into 
the  Holy  Land ;  the  eye  of  England  and  every  other  na- 
tion is  fixed  upon  that  most  strategic  position  in  all  the 
East,  to  wit:  The  eastern  coast  of  the  Mediterranean 
Sea.  Those  thundering  Bulgarian  guns  that  are  to-day 
shaking  the  foundations  of  Constantinople  are  but  a  step 
toward  Jerusalem,  and  the  time  will  come  when  God's 
many  ancient  prophecies  will  be  fulfilled :  He  will  gather 
His  people  out  of  all  the  nations  whither  they  have  been 


xix-xx]        TRIUMPHANT  HOLY  WAR  263 

dispersed ;  He  will  assemble  them  in  their  own  land ; 
and  when  assembled  there,  with  their  unprecedented 
wealth,  holding  the  strategical  position  of  the  East,  the 
nations  will  remember  their  enmity  to  the  Jews.  This  is 
the  only  country  in  the  world  that  has  not  persecuted  the 
Jew,  this  United  States.  And  there  will  be  a  gathering 
of  the  powers  to  destroy  the  Jew  and  recapture  that 
land.  The  Jews  are  unable  to  withstand  the  armies  of 
the  nations,  then  comes  the  rider  on  the  white  horse. 
Then  comes  Jehovah  where  these  nations  are  assembled 
in  the  valley  of  Jehoshaphat,  and  by  divine  interposition 
two  things  happen :  The  Jews  are  converted  in  one  day, 
the  whole  nation  is  born  in  a  day,  and  the  judgment  of 
God,  just  as  it  fell  upon  the  hosts  of  Sennacherib,  falls 
upon  the  gathered  armies  of  the  nations,  and  destroys 
them. 

13.  Why,  in  a  previous  chapter,  were  certain  Old  Tes- 
tament and  New  Testament  prophecies  grouped  with  the 
Har-Magedon  war,  and  here  applied  differently?  I 
thought  some  of  you  understood  me  by  this  time;  fre- 
quently I  put  in  a  catch  question.  I  designedly  mixed  up 
the  grouping  of  those  passages  to  provoke  independent 
investigation.  You  have  only  to  turn  back  to  chapter 
xiv  for  that  mixed  grouping  of  Har-Magedon.  I  wanted 
you  to  see  for  yourselves  the  difference  on  the  issues  be- 
tween the  conflict  of  the  counterfeit  church  with  the  true 
church  at  Har-Magedon,  and  this  great  battle  for  the 
salvation  of  the  Jews. 

14.  What  passages,  then,  in  both  Testaments,  are  now 
grouped  as  belonging  to  the  Holy  War  of  this  lesson? 
There  is  no  catch  in  the  question  this  time.  I  will  give 
you  the  passages  that  bear  upon  your  lesson :  Isaiah 
Ixiii,  1-6:  "Who  is  this  that  cometh  out  of  Edom  with 
dyed  garments  ? "  etc.     I  will  quote  the  other  passage 


26*  REVELATION  [xix-xx 

from  Isaiah,  a  continuation  of  the  same  subject  all 
through  the  rest  of  the  book  of  Isaiah.  I  quote  from  the 
sixty-sixth  (the  last)  chapter  of  Isaiah,  following  that 
war  (I  preached  on  this  at  the  Convention  in  Houston)  : 
"  Whoever  heard  of  such  a  thing ;  who  hath  ever  seen 
such  a  thing:  shall  a  land  be  born  in  one  day?  shall  a 
nation  be  brought  forth  at  once  ?  for  as  soon  as  Zion  trav- 
ailed she  brought  forth  her  children."  That  connects 
with  this  battle,  in  which  the  hero  has  the  dyed  garments 
sprinkled  with  blood. 

Then,  in  Ezekiel,  thirty-sixth  chapter,  from  the  226. 
to  the  25th  verses,  and  the  thirty-seventh  chapter.  Now, 
I  will  quote,  substantially,  the  pertinent  part :  "  Not  for 
your  sakes  will  I  do  this,  but  for  my  own  name  sake 
will  I  do  it,  which  name  you  have  profaned  among  na- 
tions where  you  have  been  dispersed;  I  will  gather  you 
out  of  all  the  nations  where  you  have  profaned  my  name, 
into  your  own  land,  and  then  I  will  sprinkle  the  water  of 
purification  upon  you,  and  you  shall  be  clean,  from  all 
your  idols  and  all  your  filthiness  will  I  cleanse  you;  and 
I  will  take  away  your  stony  heart  and  give  you  a  heart  of 
flesh,  I  wall  put  my  spirit  within  you,  and  then  you  will 
keep  my  commandments  and  do  them." 

The  next  chapter  of  Ezekiel  shows  a  great  valley  full 
of  dry  bones,  representing  all  the  dispersed  fragments  of 
Israel,  and  the  question  is  propounded :  "  Can  these  dry 
bones  live?  "  And  the  prophet  says:  "  Thou  knowest  "; 
and  God  says :  "  Prophesy  over  these  dry  bones." 
"What  shall  I  prophesy?"  "Prophesy  this:  Come,  Oh 
Spirit,  from  the  four  ends  of  the  earth,  and  breathe  upon 
these  slain,"  and  the  Spirit  came,  and  they  lived  and 
stood  up,  a  mighty  army.  And  this,  says  the  prophet,  is 
the  restoration  of  the  whole  house  of  Israel. 

All  of  the  third  chapter  of  Joel  refers  to  this  war.     He 


xix-xx]         TRIUMPHANT  HOLY  WAR  265 

says :  "  I  will  gather  all  the  nations  together  against  you, 
when  I  have  assembled  you  in  my  own  land.  I  will 
gather  them  in  the  valley  of  Jehoshaphat ;  multitudes,  mul- 
titudes in  the  valley  of  decision.  And  I  will  say :  Put 
in  the  sickle  and  reap  the  vintage ;  and  fill  up  the  wine- 
vat,  and  I  will  tread  out  the  winevat  until  all  my  gar- 
ments are  stained  with  blood." 

Then  in  the  twelfth  chapter  of  Zechariah  it  is  said: 
"  I  will  gather  my  people  in  the  last  day  out  of  all  the 
nations,  and  in  that  day  I  will  pour  out  upon  them  the 
spirit  of  grace  and  supplication,  and  they  shall  look  upon 
him  whom  they  pierced,  and  they  shall  mourn  for  him 
as  one  mourneth  for  his  firstborn  son ;  it  shall  be  a  great 
mourning,  every  family  apart.  And  in  that  day  a  foun- 
tain shall  be  opened  for  sin,  and  for  uncleanness,  in 
Jerusalem."  And  then  in  the  fourteenth  chapter  he  goes 
on  to  describe  the  battle  of  the  nations  gathered  against 
the  Jews  restored  and  converted,  and  all  at  once  the 
lights  go  out.  "  Never  was  there  such  a  day,"  says  the 
prophet.  "  The  sun  is  darkened,  the  moon  is  darkened, 
but  at  even  time  there  shall  be  light,  and  there  shall  be 
an  earthquake  such  as  the  earth  never  felt  before,  and 
Mount  Olivet  shall  split  wide  open,  and  half  shall  go  to 
the  west  and  half  to  the  east,"  and  then  he  goes  on  to 
describe  the  Millennium  that  follows. 

And  then,  in  the  eleventh  chapter  of  Romans,  Paul 
says  that  the  Jews  did  not  stumble  that  they  might  fall 
forever.  You  Gentiles  were  saved  by  their  fall.  Their 
coming  back  will  be  as  the  life  from  the  dead,  and  so  all 
Israel  shall  be  saved  when  they  look  to  their  Saviour. 

15.  Now  comes  this  question:  Why  are  the  vintage  of 
Revelation  xiv,  19,  and  the  war  of  Revelation  xix  classed 
with  the  prophecies  promising  the  restoration  of  the  Jews 
to  their  land,  the  war  of  the  nations  on  them  and  the 


266  REVELATION  [xix-xx 

conversion  of  the  Jews  in  one  day  ?  Ans. :  Because  the 
prophet  Joel  predicts  in  express  words  that  very  vintage 
that  we  described  in  chapter  xiv  of  this  book.  And  the 
prophet  Isaiah  draws  the  very  picture  of  this  hero  con- 
quering with  his  garments  stained  with  blood,  and  com- 
mences it  with  the  battle  against  the  nations  and  tells  of 
the  salvation  of  the  Jews;  and  because  Peter  says,  speak- 
ing to  the  Jews :  "  Repent  ye,  so  that  your  sins  may  be 
blotted  out,  and  so  that  refreshings  may  come  from  his 
presence,  and  so  that  he  may  send  Jesus  whom  the 
heavens  must  receive  until  the  time  of  the  restitution 
of  all  things."  That  shows  that  Peter  makes  the  re- 
pentance and  conversion  of  the  Jews  a  condition  prece- 
dent to  the  final  advent  of  our  Lord  and  his  restoration 
of  all  things.  I  told  you  that  there  never  could  be  a 
Millennium  until  the  Romanist  church  had  passed  away; 
and  I  now  tell  you  that  there  never  can  be  a  Millennium 
until  the  Jews  are  converted,  and  it  will  be  the  quickest, 
widest  entrance  into  the  gate  of  salvation  that  this  world 
has  ever  seen,  a  whole  nation  in  a  day.  Three  thousand 
on  the  day  of  Pentecost  were  converted;  that  was  only 
the  offering  of  the  first  sheaf,  the  firstfruits,  and  if 
three  thousand  be  one  sheaf,  what  will  the  harvest  be? 
Therefore,  I  say  that  the  Christian  ought  not  to  long  for 
Pentecostal  times ;  keep  your  back  turned  on  Pentecost, 
and  look  to  the  harvest  ten  thousand  times  bigger  than 
Pentecost  that  is  ahead  of  you. 

i6.  What  is  meant  by  the  binding  of  Satan?  God's 
power  is  exercised  over  this  usurper  that  has  held  the 
earth  six  thousand  years,  or  nearly  all  of  that  time,  and 
He  is  determined  that  the  earth  shall  have  a  Sabbath,  a 
thousand-year  Sabbath.  As  Satan  has  held  it  six  thou- 
sand years,  there  shall  be  a  thousand  years  of  peace  and 
salvation;  the  devil  shall  not  cast  a  shadow  over  any 


xix-xx]        TRIUMPHANT  HOLY  WAR  267 

man's  soul,  nor  press  his  cloven  foot  on  any  breaking 
heart,  nor  come  with  terrors  to  any  dying  man  or  woman, 
and  shall  not  weave  his  spells  of  enchantment,  and  shall 
not  beguile  the  nations,  but  he  shall  be  chained  and  cast 
into  the  pit,  and  a  rock  placed  over  the  mouth  and  sealed 
up  for  a  thousand  years.  I  will  be  glad  when  it  comes. 
I  want  to  tell  you  about  the  Millennium;  I  want  you  to 
understand ;  you  will  be  able  to  understand  a  great  many 
strange  scriptures  when  you  comprehend  the  Millennium. 
What,  then,  is  this  war?  It  is  a  war  of  Jesus  Christ 
against  human  governments,  based  on  Satan's  power. 
Governments  coming  to  thwart  the  promises  of  God  by 
the  destruction  of  the  Jewish  nation,  in  which  the  beast 
government  goes  down  forever,  and  the  false  prophet 
forever,  and  Satan  is  bound  for  a  thousand  years,  and  all 
the  kingdoms  of  this  world  become  the  kingdom  of  our 
Lord  and  His  Christ.  And  it  is  not  so  very  far  off.  The 
world  was  four  thousand  years  old  when  Christ  came, 
and  it  is  nearly  two  thousand  years  since  He  came.  The 
devil's  time  is  nearly  out;  events  are  moving  rapidly, 
ocean  and  air  are  navigated,  telegraph  wires  long  rusted 
with  commercial  and  political  lies  shall  shine  with  the 
transmission  of  messages  of  mercy  and  salvation. 

The  questions  on   this  chapter  are  embodied  in  the  text,  as 
it  was  prepared  in  the  form  of  a  catechism. 


XVIII 

THE  MILLENNIUM 
Revelation  XX,  4,  5,  6 

THIS  particular  study  contains  just  three  verses, 
chapter  xx,  verses  4,  5  and  6.  The  theme  is 
the  Millennium,  but  before  defining  it  let  us  con- 
sider its  precursors,  the  things  that  precede  it  and  bring 
it  about. 

The  first  one  we  have  found  to  be  the  downfall  of  the 
Romanist  counterfeit  church,  symbolized  first,  by  the 
woman  in  purple  and  scarlet  and  second  by  the  mystic 
Babylon.  We  found  that,  instrumentally,  the  downfall 
of  this  Romanist  church  was  brought  about  by  two 
agencies :  First,  the  governments  of  the  earth  "  shall  hate 
the  harlot  and  make  her  desolate  and  naked,  and  shall 
eat  her  flesh  and  burn  her  with  fire"  (Revelation  xvii, 
16).  The  second  agency:  The  saints,  by  preaching, 
teaching  and  publishing  the  pure  gospel,  shall  expose  all 
of  her  heresies  and  idolatries  (Revelation  xii,  11),  and 
by  their  prayers  they  shall  bring  on  her  the  judgment  of 
God  (Revelation  vi,  10,  and  viii,  3-5).  That  is  the  first 
precursor — the  forerunner — of  the  Millennium. 

The  second  precursor :  "  The  days  of  the  Gentiles  being 
fulfilled"  (see  Luke  xxii  and  xxiv),  the  Jews  shall  be 
gathered  together  out  of  all  the  nations  where  they  have 
been  dispersed,  into  their  own  land,  and  the  nations  shall 
gather  together  to  make  war  on  them,  and  then  shall 

268 


Kx]  THE  MILLENNIUM  269 

come  the  Jewish  harvest  of  which  Pentecost  is  only  the 
firstfruits;  the  whole  nation  to  be  converted  in  one  day. 
This  conversion  of  the  Jews  occurs  in  the  dispensation 
of  the  Holy  Spirit,  of  the  gospel,  and  is  accomplished 
through  their  conviction,  repentance,  faith  and  regenera- 
tion, just  exactly  as  our  conversion  was  brought  about, 
and  if  you  have  any  doubt  about  it  read  carefully  Ezekiel 
xxxvi,  22-27,  ^^^  xxxvii,  1-14,  and  you  will  see  that  the 
Jews  are  to  be  regenerated;  that  is,  their  souls  cleansed 
by  the  application  of  the  blood  of  Christ,  and  their  spirits 
renewed  within  them,  just  as  yours  are.  And  by  reading 
Zechariah  xii,  9,  to  xiii,  i,  you  will  see  that  the  Spirit  was 
poured  out  on  them — the  spirit  of  grace  and  supplication. 
They  have  mourning,  or  godly  sorrow,  they  have  their 
repentance,  their  faith  in  the  One  they  pierced,  and  the 
fountain  of  cleansing  is  opened  to  them  for  sin  and  un- 
cleanness,  just  as  in  your  case.  And  then,  if  you  will 
read  Romans  xi,  15-31,  you  will  see  that  the  conversion 
of  the  Jews  is  brought  about  just  like  your  own  con- 
version. Let  it  be  clear  in  your  minds  that  when  the 
Jews  look  upon  Him  whom  they  have  pierced,  they  see 
Him  not  by  sight  in  His  final  advent,  but  by  faith  on 
.the  cross  as  lifted  up  in  preaching  (see  John  iii,  14,  15; 
xii,  32;  xix,  37).  And  being  saved,  they  become  the 
greatest  of  all  missionaries. 

What  the  Gentiles  are  doing  for  the  spread  of  the 
gospel  is  nothing  to  what  the  Jews  will  do  when  they 
turn  to  the  Lord.  As  Paul  says,  if  their  falling  caused 
the  Gentiles  to  be  saved,  their  salvation  will  be  as  life 
from  death.  In  the  eleventh  chapter  of  Romans  he  goes 
into  ecstasy — sublime  ecstasy — over  the  result  of  the  con- 
version of  the  Jews. 

Now,  in  the  conversion  of  the  Jews,  we  see  no  coming 
of  the  Messiah.     On  the  contrary,  Peter,  in  preaching 


270  REVELATION  [xx 

to  the  Jews  (Acts,  third  chapter),  says  to  them :  "  Repent 
and  turn  away  [first]  so  that  your  sins  may  be  blotted 
out;  [second]  so  that  refreshing  may  come  from  the 
presence  of  the  Lord;  [third]  so  that  he  may  send  Jesus, 
whom  the  heavens  must  receive  until  the  time  of  the 
restoration  of  all  things."  In  other  words,  the  salvation 
of  the  Jews  must  take  place  before  Christ  can  come — 
that  is  one  of  the  antecedent  things — and  as  the  salvation 
of  the  Jews  was  the  last  thing  He  discussed,  bringing  us 
up  to  the  Millennium,  I  am  sure  that  we  had  not  come 
to  any  final  advent  of  our  Lord. 

Following  their  conversion,  we  saw  that  Jehovah  smote 
the  nations  that  had  gathered  to  destroy  them,  and  in  His 
judgment  on  the  nations  the  beast  and  the  false  prophet 
perished,  and  all  governments  contrary  to  God  perished 
— swept  away  from  the  face  of  the  earth.  I  do  not  very 
well  see  how  the  Millennium  could  come  with  human 
governments  constituted  and  run  as  they  now  are — I 
mean  municipal  governments  like  Fort  Worth,  New 
York  City,  New  Orleans,  San  Antonio,  Galveston,  Hous- 
ton, state  governments,  national  governments — I  do  not 
see  how  it  could  come  under  such  governments.  Then 
there  is  a  persecuting  union  of  church  and  state  in  nearly 
all  the  governments  of  the  world  at  the  present  time. 
Now,  all  these  opposing  elements  to  the  Kingdom  of  God 
must  be  broken  down  before  the  Millennium  can  come; 
so  that  the  kingdoms  of  the  world  become  the  Kingdom 
of  God  (Revelation  xi,  15),  and  as  Daniel  puts  it:  "  The 
stone  that  Nebuchadnezzar  saw  come  out  of  the  moun- 
tain without  hands  "  (and  that  was  the  fifth  great  world- 
empire)  "  and  that  stone  [says  Daniel]  became  a  great 
mountain  and  filled  the  whole  earth."  Now,  in  this  great 
war,  in  the  conquest  of  the  world  from  Satan,  you  are  not 
to  understand  that  our  Lord  on  the  white  horse,  the  hero 


xx]  THE  MILLENNIUM  271 

of  the  war,  has  come  in  His  final  advent,  personally, 
visibly,  palpably,  tangibly,  audibly.  You  may  just  as 
well  say  that  when  He  first  appeared  on  the  white  horse 
in  the  sixth  chapter  of  Revelation  that  that  was  His  final 
advent.  He  is  reigning  in  heaven,  but  His  armies  are 
fighting  on  the  earth,  as  the  one-hundred-and-tenth  Psalm 
explains  to  you. 

We  saw,  as  the  last  precursor  of  the  Millennium,  the 
chaining  and  shutting  up  of  Satan.  You  understand  that 
this  is  a  book  of  symbols.  What  is  the  symbolic  mean- 
ing of  the  chaining  of  Satan?  I  do  not  suppose  that  a 
literal  angel  will  put  a  literal  chain  on  Satan,  who  is  a 
spirit.  But  he  is  chained  when  all  of  his  agencies  are 
swept  away.  The  church,  and  the  faithful  ministers  in 
the  preaching  of  this  book,  are  to  illuminate  the  world, 
and  when  the  churches  are  faithful  and  multiply  and  fill 
the  earth,  and  when  the  ministers  preach  only  the  true 
gospel,  until,  as  Isaiah  says,  "  the  whole  earth  is  filled 
with  the  knowledge  of  the  Lord,"  the  very  prevalence  of 
light  dispels  the  darkness.  So  we  have  something  to  do 
in  the  chaining  of  Satan.  As  Paul  says  in  the  sixteenth 
chapter  of  Romans,  "  The  God  of  peace  shall  bruise 
Satan  under  your  feet  shortly,"  according  to  the  first 
promise  in  Genesis  iii,  15,  that  the  seed  of  the  woman 
should  bruise  the  serpent's  head.  His  people  must  tri- 
umph over  Satan;  "they  must  [says  Paul]  put  on  the 
whole  armour  of  God,  that  they  may  resist  and  over- 
come the  devil  " — the  helmet  of  salvation,  the  breastplate 
of  righteousness,  the  girdle  of  truth,  their  feet  shod  with 
the  preparation  of  the  gospel  of  peace,  the  shield  of  faith, 
the  sword  of  the  Spirit  which  is  the  Word  of  God — and 
thus  they  bruise  Satan  under  their  feet.  Or,  as  Peter 
puts  it  in  his  first  letter  (fifth  chapter,  8th  to  loth 
verse)  :  "  Be  sober,  be  vigilant,  your  adversary  the  devil 


272  REVELATION  [xx 

goeth  about  as  a  roaring  lion,  seeking  whom  he  may  de- 
vour, whom  resist  steadfast  in  the  faith."  I  repeat  that 
Christ's  victory  over  Satan  is  empty  unless  we  share  it. 
The  earth  was  made  for  man,  the  dominion  was  given 
to  man  (Genesis  i,  26-28),  but  Satan,  through  man's  sin, 
usurped  the  sovereignty  of  the  world  and  made  it  his 
kingdom,  and  now  it  must  be  rescued  from  him.  "  The 
saints  [says  Daniel]  must  possess  the  kingdom." 
The  fulness  of  the  Gentiles  and  the  conversion  of  the 
Jews  accomplish  this  object. 

Keeping  in  mind  these  precursors  to  the  Millennium, 
we  will  now  consider  the  Millennium  itself. 

What,  then,  is  the  Millennium?  It  is  a  Latin  word 
which  means  a  period  of  a  thousand  years,  employed 
first  to  delimit  the  period  of  time  that  Satan  is  chained 
and  sealed  up  so  that  he  cannot  come  out  to  deceive  the 
nations.  That  is,  the  saints  shall  possess  the  earth  just 
as  long  as  Satan  is  bound  and  shut  up.  It  is  a  victory 
of  the  Spirit  dispensation  through  the  churches,  the  min- 
isters and  the  gospel.  It  means  that  Satan  has  usurped 
the  kingdom  of  the  world  for  six  millenniums,  and 
that  the  earth  shall  have  in  time,  and  through  the 
gospel,  her  Sabbath  Millennium — that  is,  the  seventh 
one — her  thousand  years  of  peace  and  rest  and  joy 
and  gospel  triumph,  with  no  devil  to  tempt,  seduce, 
beguile.  He  has  been  the  author  of  every  evil  human 
government,  whether  municipal,  state  or  national. 
He  is  the  author  of  every  evil  religion,  all  idola- 
tries, all  lying,  all  prostitution,  all  necromancy  and  witch- 
craft, all  evil  philosophies,  all  evil  theories  of  life,  all  im- 
moralities of  conduct  and  life.  From  him  have  come 
strifes,  wars,  famines,  pestilences,  slavery  of  bodies  and 
souls,  disease  and  death.  From  him  all  the  monopolies 
and  grinding  of  the  poor  for  selfish  greed.     Now,  imag- 


xx]  THE  MILLENNIUM  273 

ine,  if  you  can,  what  will  be  the  increased  population  of 
the  world  in  a  thousand  years  under  such  conditions — no 
wars  to  kill  off  the  people  and  eat  up  their  substance ;  no 
pestilences  like  cholera,  smallpox,  the  bubonic  plague,  no 
grinding  poverty,  and  the  churches  all  shining,  and  the 
preachers  all  shining,  not  a  false  note  in  their  preaching ; 
the  whole  earth  subdued,  the  obstacles  of  nature  over- 
come, every  part  of  the  earth  brought  under  the  dominion 
of  man  until  one  may  live  as  comfortably  at  the  North 
Pole  as  in  the  temperate  zone  or  the  tropics,  with  the 
air  subdued  so  one  may  navigate  it  as  safely  as  the  seas 
below  it — of  course  I  mean  by  human  inventions. 

Under  such  conditions,  with  every  latent  force  of  na- 
ture developed  and  paying  tribute,  Texas  alone  could 
support  a  population  of  250  millions  easily.  All  the 
earth  swept  with  revival  power  from  continent  to  con- 
tinent, many  fold  more  people  would  be  converted  in  that 
thousand  years  than  ever  lived  on  the  earth  in  the  pre- 
ceding six  thousand  years.  Indeed,  so  great  will  be  the 
majority  of  the  saved  over  the  lost,  when  you  come  to 
make  up  the  totals,  that  the  relative  proportion  of  the 
lost  will  be  about  as  those  now  in  the  jails  and  peniten- 
tiaries when  compared  to  the  outside  population.  Do 
not  ever  deceive  yourself  with  the  fear  that  the  devil  will 
get  the  majority  of  the  human  race.  And  all  of  this 
world-illumination  will  be  through  the  Holy  Spirit, 
through  the  churches,  the  ministers,  and  the  gospel,  while 
Jesus  reigns  in  heaven,  and  before  His  final  advent.  If 
you  ever  supposed  that  the  Holy  Spirit,  Christ's  vicar  on 
earth,  would  fail,  then  give  up  that  supposition.  If  you 
ever  entertained  the  notion  that  the  gates  of  hell  would 
prevail  against  the  church  which  Jesus  Christ  established, 
give  that  up.  If  you  ever  supposed  that  a  true  ministry 
would  altogether  perish,  and  a  pure  gospel  cease  in  the 


274*  REVELATION  [xx 

land,  then  give  that  up.  This  book  of  Revelation  was 
given  to  teach  one  great  truth — as  shown  in  the  first 
revelation  in  the  book — that  the  whole  world  is  to  be 
lighted  by  the  candlesticks  and  the  stars,  and  Christ  in 
walking  among  the  candlesticks  does  not  walk  among 
them  in  person,  but  every  time  He  speaks  He  says: 
"  Hear  ye  what  the  Spirit  says  unto  the  churches."  It 
is  a  ministration  of  the  Spirit  that  accomplishes  all  these 
things.  There  will  be  a  final,  personal,  glorious  advent 
of  our  Lord — only  let  us  wait  until  we  get  to  it.  We  will 
come  to  it  very  soon  now,  but  we  must  not  look  for  it 
in  connection  with  the  Millennium.  There  are  just  three 
verses  on  the  Millennium  in  the  whole  Bible,  and  not  one 
of  those  three  verses  says  a  solitary  word  about  the 
advent  of  Christ  or  about  the  resurrection  of  the  body — 
not  a  syllable.  If  you  think  so,  let  us  test  you  on  it 
as  we  take  it  up. 

Twentieth  chapter,  4th  verse,  first  clause.  We  want 
to  find  out  about  the  living  Christians,  and  that  first 
clause  gives  it  to  us :  "  And  I  saw  thrones,  and  they  sat 
upon  them,  and  judgment  was  given  unto  them."  Who 
sat  upon  thrones?  What  is  the  antecedent  of  that  pro- 
noun "  they  "  ?  If  you  will  look  back  to  the  nineteenth 
chapter,  you  will  find  who  it  is.  It  is  that  crowd  of 
saints,  in  fine  linen  pure  and  white,  who  followed  the 
Lord  in  His  great  campaign.  What  is  the  meaning  of 
"  they  sat  on  these  thrones  "  ?  It  means  that  the  good 
people  are  on  top  in  every  kind  of  government  during 
the  Millennium — they  are  the  mayors,  the  police,  the 
sheriffs,  the  judges:  they  are  the  presidents,  and  if  there 
are  any  kings,  they  are  the  kings.  The  rule  has  passed 
into  the  hands  of  the  saints.  The  testimony  of  the 
prophets  on  that  subject  is  express.  I  do  not  know  any- 
thing more  sublime,  or  more  beautiful,  than  the  testimony 


xx]  THE  MILLENNIUM  275 

of  the  prophets  to  the  sway  in  public  matters  of  the  saints 
in  that  time.  I  quote  just  two  or  three  of  these  in 
order  to  show  you  what  conditions  prevail.  The  eleventh 
chapter  of  Isaiah  has  one  of  the  finest  passages  in  the 
Bible  on  the  Millennium.  The  whole  chapter  is  devoted 
to  our  Lord :  6th  verse :  "  And  the  wolf  shall  dwell  with 
the  lamb;  and  the  leopard  shall  lie  down  with  the  goat; 
and  the  calf  and  the  young  lion  and  the  f atling  together ; 
and  a  little  child  shall  lead  them.  And  the  cow  and  the 
bear  shall  feed ;  their  young  ones  shall  lie  down  together ; 
and  the  lion  shall  eat  straw  like  the  oxen.  And  the  suck- 
ing child  shall  play  on  the  hole  of  the  asp,  and  the  weaned 
child  shall  put  his  hand  on  the  adder's  den.  They  shall 
not  hurt  nor  destroy  in  my  holy  mountain,  for  the  earth 
shall  be  filled  with  the  knowledge  of  Jehovah  as  the 
waters  cover  the  sea." 

Following  the  conversion  of  the  Jews  in  one  day 
in  the  sixty-fifth  chapter  of  Isaiah  this  language  is  used 
(i8th  verse):  "But  be  ye  glad  and  rejoice  forever  in 
that  which  I  create,  for  behold  I  create  Jerusalem  a  re- 
joicing, and  her  people  a  joy.  And  I  will  rejoice  in 
Jerusalem,  and  joy  in  my  people,  and  there  shall  be  heard 
in  her  no  more  the  voice  of  weeping  and  the  voice  of 
crying.  There  shall  be  no  more  thence  an  infant  of  days, 
nor  an  old  man  that  hath  not  filled  his  days ;  for  the  child 
shall  die  a  hundred  years  old,  and  the  sinner  being  a  hun- 
dred years  old  shall  be  accursed.  And  they  shall  build 
houses  and  inhabit  them ;  and  they  shall  plant  vineyards 
and  eat  the  fruits  of  them,  not  build  for  somebody  else 
to  inhabit,  or  plant  for  somebody  else  to  eat,  for  as  the 
days  of  a  tree  shall  be  the  days  of  my  people,  and  my 
chosen  shall  long  enjoy  the  work  of  their  hands.  They 
shall  not  labour  in  vain,  nor  bring  forth  to  calamity,  for 
they  are  the  seed  of  the  blessed  of  Jehovah."     Then  no- 


276  REVELATION  [xx 

tice  the  24th  verse :  "  And  it  shall  come  to  pass  that  be- 
fore they  call  I  will  answer,  and  while  they  are  yet 
speaking  I  will  hear."  And  he  closes  the  book  with: 
"  And  it  shall  come  to  pass  that  from  one  new  moon 
to  another,  and  from  one  Sabbath  to  another,  all  flesh 
shall  come  to  worship  before  me,  saith  Jehovah,  and  they 
shall  go  forth  and  look  upon  the  dead  bodies  of  the  men 
that  have  transgressed  against  me  " — they  shall  contem- 
plate the  passing  away  of  the  destroying  things. 

Now  you  see  that  in  this  earth  condition — an  earth 
condition  under  a  very  favourable  environment — life  is 
prolonged.  He  takes  away  the  diseases  that  come  from 
the  devil  and  that  result  through  evil  government,  and 
the  infant  shall  live  to  be  a  hundred  years  old,  when 
no  man  shall  cease  to  fill  out  his  days ;  the  sanitary  condi- 
tions during  the  Millennium  will  be  such  as  this  world 
has  never  before  witnessed.  They  marry,  they  give  in 
marriage ;  they  do  die — through  that  thousand  years,  the 
people  are  not  immortal — but  the  conditions  of  life  are 
very  widely  different.  And  the  main  thing  is  that  the 
saints  are  on  top — they  are  filling  the  offices;  the  earth 
is  under  their  jurisdiction. 

Now  read  the  other  half  of  that  verse,  and  see  the 
condition  of  the  dead  during  the  Millennium.  That  is 
the  next  thing  we  want  to  find  out.  "  And  I  saw  the 
souls  " — mark  you,  not  the  bodies,  as  some  people  would 
have  it — "  of  them  that  had  been  beheaded  for  the  testi- 
mony of  Jesus  and  for  the  word  of  God  [that  is,  the 
martyrs],  and  such  as  worshipped  not  the  beast,  neither 
the  image  of  the  beast,  and  received  not  the  mark  upon 
their  foreheads  nor  upon  their  hands  " — that  is,  I  saw 
the  souls  of  the  righteous  dead,  and  "  they  lived  and 
reigned  with  Christ  a  thousand  years."  Where  is  Christ? 
He  is  in  heaven  reigning,  and  these  souls  of  the  righteous 


xx]  THE  MILLENNIUM  9!71 

dead  live  with  Him  and  reign  with  Him.  That  has  been 
promised  all  through  the  book. 

We  find  out  about  the  wicked  dead  directly,  but  just 
now  we  are  on  the  righteous  dead.  What  is  their  con- 
dition during  the  Millennium  days?  Their  state  is  called 
the  first  resurrection :  "  Blessed  and  holy  is  he  that  hath 
part  in  the  first  resurrection." 

Why  is  that  changed  condition  of  the  righteous  dead 
called  a  resurrection  ?  Let  me  make  one  thing  very  plain 
to  you :  the  word  "  resurrection  "  is  not  limited  to  the 
body.  In  the  thirty-seventh  chapter  of  Ezekiel,  the  con- 
version of  the  Jews,  their  regeneration,  is  set  forth  in 
the  imagery  of  a  physical  resurrection,  and  yet  it  is  a 
conversion  that  is  discussed.  But  the  symbolism  is  as 
if  the  bones  of  the  dead  were  coming  together,  but  the 
meaning  of  it  is,  as  expressly  given,  the  salvation  of  the 
Jews,  as  we  have  just  discussed. 

Now,  in  the  letter  to  the  Ephesians,  and  in  the  first 
chapter,  Paul  uses  the  same  symbolism.  He  says: 
"  Every  conversion  is  brought  about  by  the  same  power 
that  raised  Jesus  Christ  from  the  dead;  you  hath  he 
quickened," — to  quicken  means  to  make  alive,  and  yet 
that  making  alive  does  not  refer  to  the  body;  it  refers 
to  our  conversion.  In  John  v,  25-29,  our  Lord  speaks  of 
two  resurrections,  one  spiritual,  meaning  regeneration, 
and  one  physical,  referring  to  the  body.  Spurgeon  has  a 
great  sermon  on  the  spiritual  resurrection.  Indeed,  so 
common  was  the  idea  of  counting  regeneration  a  resur- 
rection that  certain  heretics  at  Corinth  and  Ephesus 
maintained  that  it  was  the  only  resurrection,  denying 
altogether  the  resurrection  of  the  body  (see  I  Corin- 
thians XV,  12;  II  Timothy,  ii,  18). 

I  am  simply  proving  to  you  from  these  examples  that 
there  may  be  a  resurrection  that  is  spiritual,  and  not 


278  REVELATION  [xx 

physical.  But  what  is  here  called  the  "  first  resurrec- 
tion "  is  not  regeneration.  While  spiritual,  it  is  another 
kind.  Now,  it  is  my  business  and  duty  to  show  you  the 
meaning  of  the  first  resurrection  in  this  passage — what- 
ever it  means,  it  has  no  reference  to  the  body — and  I 
know  exactly  how  to  do  it.  The  correct  interpretation 
of  two  passages  in  this  book  will  clarify  the  whole  matter. 
Both  refer  to  the  souls  of  the  saints ;  the  second  presents 
such  a  happy  change  from  the  condition  of  the  first  it 
may  well  be  called  a  resurrection.  The  first  passage  is 
Revelation  vi,  9,  "  And  when  he  opened  the  fifth  seal  I 
saw  underneath  the  altar  the  souls  of  them  that  had 
been  slain  for  the  word  of  God,  and  the  testimony  which 
they  held,  and  they  cried  with  a  great  voice,  saying: 
How  long,  O  Master,  the  holy  and  true,  dost  thou  not 
judge  and  avenge  our  blood  on  them  that  dwell  on  the 
earth?  And  there  was  given  them  to  each  one  a  white 
robe ;  and  it  was  said  unto  them  that  they  should  rest  yet 
for  a  little  time,  and  their  fellow-servants  also  and  their 
brethren,  who  should  be  killed  even  as  they  were,  should 
have  fulfilled  their  course." 

My  contention  is  that  in  this  state  of  the  righteous  dead 
they  are,  in  a  figurative  sense,  not  living.  That  is,  (i) 
their  martyrdom  seems  to  be  a  failure.  Their  lives  go 
out  in  darkness,  and  the  enemy  triumphs  over  the  tragedy. 
(2)  Their  works  do  not  follow  them.  It  is  not  apparent 
and  demonstrable  that  they  have  won  a  victory,  because 
they  are  not  avenged.  God's  justice  seems  to  be  sleeping. 
The  victorious  malice  of  their  enemies  seems  to  be  ac- 
cepted by  the  world  as  the  will  of  God.  They  pass  into 
history  as  convicted  and  executed  felons. 

Now  consider  the  next  passage  (xiv,  8-13).  Here  the 
mystic  Babylon,  the  Romanist  counterfeit  church,  which 
put  them  to  death,  is  judged.     She  drinks  the  cup  of 


xx]  THE  MILLENNIUM  279 

God's  undiluted  wrath;  the  martyrs  are  avenged  and 
vindicated.  The  reproach  is  Hfted  from  the  tragic  end- 
ing of  their  Hves.  They  become  the  heroes  instead  of 
the  felons  of  history.  Hence  the  13th  verse:  "And  I 
heard  a  voice  from  heaven  saying,  Write,  Blessed  are  the 
dead  who  die  in  the  Lord  from  henceforth :  yea,  saith 
the  Spirit,  that  they  may  rest  from  their  labours;  for 
their  works  follow  with  them."  That  is,  when  God  has 
avenged  them  and  their  enemies  are  fallen,  there  is  a 
great  change  in  public  opinion,  in  the  historic  judgment, 
as  to  their  place  in  the  house  of  fame.  To  die  in  the 
Lord  now  is  not  to  pass  under  a  cloud — it  is  a  triumphant 
ascension  into  glory  and  light.  The  change  is  so  great 
it  is  called  a  resurrection.  "  They  live  and  reign  with 
Christ  a  thousand  years."  The  principles  for  which  they 
died  are  now  triumphant.  Judgment  upon  those  who  put 
them  to  death  is  to  them  as  life  from  the  dead ;  it  is  rep- 
resented as  a  resurrection,  and  this  is  the  only  place  in 
the  Bible  where  the  term  "  first  resurrection  "  is  used, 
and  it  is  expressly  declared  to  be  a  resurrection  of  souls 
and  not  of  the  body.  The  principles  that  they  advocated 
are  triumphant — they  have  swept  over  the  world. 

"  The  rest  of  the  dead  " — the  rest  of  the  dead  means 
the  wicked  dead.  They  do  not  so  live  in  that  time. 
They  are  under  no  such  favourable  conditions;  their 
works  do  not  follow  them  in  the  Millennium.  Their  day 
is  now.  The  wicked  man  is  yet  on  top;  it  looks  like 
he  has  accomplished  his  purposes,  the  righteous  are  tram- 
pled under  foot;  the  methods  of  the  wicked  seem  to  be 
wise  now  because  they  prevail.  But  not  so  in  the  Mil- 
lennium. The  Millennium  time  must  pass  away  before 
the  rest  of  the  dead  shall  be  alive.  If,  then,  "  the  first 
resurrection  "  is  this  triumphant  vindication  of  God,  what 
is  "  the  second  resurrection  "  ?    It  must  be  in  kind  like 


280  REVELATION  [xx 

the  first.  It  comes  at  the  end  of  the  Millennium,  when 
the  thousand  years  are  finished  and  Satan  is  loosed. 
The  wicked  dead  now  live  and  reign  with  Satan.  During 
his  "  little  season  "  of  triumph,  they  appear  to  come  from 
under  the  cloud  of  adverse  judgment.  It  is  a  common 
figure  of  speech.  We  speak  of  the  dark  ages  of  igno- 
rance, and  the  subsequent  revival  of  letters,  arts  and  the 
sciences.  This  revival  is  called  "  Renaissance  "  or  new 
birth,  or  revival  of  anything  which  has  long  been  in 
decay  or  desuetude.  So  in  Millennium  times  the  souls  of 
the  righteous  have  their  Renaissance,  but  when  Satan  is 
loosed  again  the  wicked  dead  have  their  Renaissance. 

Evidently,  then,  the  second  resurrection  is  when  the 
rest  of  the  dead  live — referring  to  their  souls  and  not 
their  bodies,  and  it  is  distinctly  stated  that  they  will  live 
just  as  soon  as  this  thousand  years  end,  and  they  do 
live  just  as  soon  as  Satan  is  loosed  and  goes  forth  to 
deceive  the  nations  again.  Now,  you  see  there  are  two 
resurrections — both  of  them  of  souls — one  a  resurrection 
of  the  souls  of  the  righteous  dead,  and  the  other  of  the 
souls  of  the  wicked. 

Alford,  in  his  commentary,  refers  to  the  passage  "  This 
is  the  first  resurrection,"  and  classifies  it  with  the  resur- 
rection of  bodies  in  xx,  12,  13,  and  adds  in  a  triumphant 
way,  that  we  cannot  by  any  sound  rules  of  interpretation 
make  the  first  spiritual  and  the  second  physical.  His 
error  is  in  classification.  The  resurrection  in  xx,  12,  13, 
is  not  the  correspondent  to  the  "  first  resurrection  "  in 
XX,  6.  The  correspondent  to  the  first  resurrection  must 
come  immediately  after  the  thousand  years  are  finished, 
when  Satan  is  loosed.  That,  like  the  first,  will  be  a 
spiritual  resurrection.  The  resurrection  of  bodies  in 
XX,  12,  13,  comes  not  when  Satan  is  loosed,  but  after  his 
last  war  campaign  is  ended.     His  logic  would  be  good  if 


xx]  THE  MILLENNIUM  281 

he  did  not  make  a  mix-up  in  his  premises.  I  am  willing 
to  risk  whatever  reputation  I  have  on  the  soundness  of 
my  interpretation  of  this  difficult  passage.  I  say  to  Mr. 
Alford  that  neither  the  first  nor  the  second  resurrection 
is  of  the  body — they  are  both  of  souls.  There  is  not  a 
word  in  these  three  verses  about  the  Millennium  that  tells 
about  the  coming  of  Christ,  or  about  the  bodily  resur- 
rection of  anybody. 

Commencing  at  least  in  the  latter  part  of  the  second 
century,  and  particularly  in  the  third  century,  there  were 
a  number  of  people  called  Chiliasts — that  means  the  same 
in  Greek  that  Millennialist  means  in  Latin — thousand- 
year  people.  These  Chiliasts  taught  that  the  first  resur- 
rection here  was  a  physical  resurrection,  and  that  Christ 
came  to  bring  about  the  Millennium  in  His  final  advent, 
and  that  the  Millennium  was  to  be  Christ's  kingdom  on 
earth,  with  Christ  personally  and  visibly  reigning  over 
the  Jews  in  Jerusalem,  and  through  the  Jews  ruling  the 
entire  Gentile  world.  Christ  rejected  that  view  in  His 
lifetime.  The  Jews  would  have  made  Him  king  at  that 
time  joyfully,  and  so  triumphed  over  the  Romans  and 
the  rest  of  the  world.  He  refused  that  view :  "  My  king- 
dom is  not  of  this  world." 

It  would  be  a  tremendous  anticlimax,  if  the  view  of 
the  Kingdom  that  Christ  rejected  in  His  lifetime  as  un- 
worthy, be  accepted  as  the  culmination,  renewing  all  the 
old  temple  worship  and  the  old  types  of  ceremonies  that 
were  nailed  to  the  cross  of  Christ  and  taken  out  of  the 
way.  On  account  of  this  teaching  of  the  Chiliasts  in  the 
latter  part  of  the  second  century  and  in  the  third  century, 
a  great  many  people  began  to  reject  the  book  of  Revela- 
tion. And  even  now,  if  you  accept  that  view,  people  will 
reject  the  book.  Some  of  the  best  men  living  in  the 
third  and   fourth   centuries   rejected   the  book  because 


282  REVELATION  [xx 

of  the  view  the  Chiliasts  had  put  upon  the  Millen- 
nium. 

And  what  was  their  view  ?  Their  view  was  that  Christ 
had  no  kingdom  at  all  on  the  earth  until  the  Millennium 
came,  and  then  He  would  come  and  set  up  His  kingdom 
here  upon  this  earth.  They  virtually  taught  that  the 
Spirit  dispensation  would  fail — the  churches  would  fail 
— the  gospel  would  fail — and  the  world  would  get  worse 
and  worse,  until  there  would  be  just  a  handful  living 
when  Christ  came,  and  that  He  would  by  His  coming 
in  the  Millennium  convert  the  most  of  the  people  that  are 
to  be  converted  in  this  world,  and  by  a  different  instru- 
mentality. 

Now,  you  may  rest  assured  that  whenever  He  does 
come  the  vicarship  of  the  Holy  Spirit  ceases;  you  may 
rest  assured  that  when  He  does  come  the  administration 
of  the  churches  ceases ;  you  may  rest  assured  that  when 
He  does  leave  heaven,  intercession  ceases.  Whenever 
the  High  Priest  comes  out  of  the  Holy  of  Holies,  never 
to  return  again,  there  can  be  no  more  intercession  for 
man.  In  other  words,  not  a  man,  woman  or  child  can 
be  converted  after  Christ's  return.  The  only  people  ever 
saved  will  be  converted  during  the  dispensation  of  the 
Spirit,  the  administration  of  the  churches  and  the  preach- 
ing of  the  glorious  gospel — and  these  instrumentalities 
of  salvation  will  never  be  changed.  The  plan  of  salva- 
tion is  one  plan  and  not  two  or  three  plans — not  a  few 
people  saved  through  the  churches  and  the  Holy  Spirit, 
and  then  a  great  body  of  people  saved  through  some 
other  instrumentality  after  Christ  comes.  When  we 
come  to  the  final  advent,  I  will  submit  to  your  judgment 
the  scriptures  that  support  my  view  as  to  why  He  comes, 
when  He  comes,  what  He  is  to  do  when  He  comes — but 
we  have  not  come  to  that  yet.     We  know  that  He  has 


xx]  THE  MILLENNIUM  283 

not  come  yet  because  the  Man  of  Sin,  that  Paul  speaks 
about,  is  to  be  destroyed  by  His  advent.  We  have  not 
come  to  that  Man  of  Sin  yet,  but  we  will  get  to  him  in 
the  next  chapter. 


EXAMINATION  QUESTIONS 

1.  What  the  precursors  to  the  Millennium? 

2.  What  the  meaning  of  the  word? 

3.  How  much  space  does  the  Bible  give  to  the  Millennium? 

4.  Is  this  small  account  in  literal  or  symbolic  language? 

5.  In  interpreting  these  three  verses  of  symbolism,  should 
they  dominate  the  general  trend  of  a  plain  literal  teaching  con- 
cerning our  Lord's  advent,  or  should  the  trend  of  literal  teach- 
ing interpret  them? 

6.  What  the  meaning  of  the  first  clause  of  xx,  4,  particularly 
the  "they"? 

7.  Cite  three  passages  from  Isaiah  bearing  on  this  time. 

8.  Is  this  result  brought  about  in  the  dispensation  of  the 
Holy  Spirit,  while  our  Lord  is  yet  in  heaven,  and  through  the 
churches,  ministry  and  gospel? 

9.  Will  the  saints  in  millennial  times  be  marrying  and  pro- 
ducing children? 

10.  Will  these  children  be  subject  to  inherited  depravity,  and 
needing  regeneration? 

11.  What  the  advantages  to  children  born  in  millennial 
times  ? 

12.  What  distinction  is  drawn  between  righteous  dead  and 
the  wicked  dead  during  the  millennial  period? 

13.  Is  there  any  reference  in  these  three  verses  to  Christ's 
final  advent,  or  to  a  resurrection  of  bodies? 

14.  If  "  the  first  resurrection  "  denotes  a  change  in  the  status 
of  the  souls  of  the  righteous  dead,  show  from  this  book  what 
the  change  is. 

15.  Illustrate  from  history  how  this  change  may  be  called  a 
revival  or  resurrection. 

16.  When,  according  to  these  three  verses,  comes  the  "  second 
resurrection,"  or  the  revival  of  the  souls  of  the  wicked,  and 
what  does  that  mean? 

17.  What  capital  mistake  does  Alford  make  in  interpreting 
this  passage? 

18.  According  to  this  book  of  Revelation,  does  the  ministry 
of  the  Holy  Spirit  fail,  the  churches  fail,  the  gospel  fail,  and 
the  world  get  worse  and  worse  till  Christ's  final  advent? 

19.  How,  probably,  will  the  Millennium  affect  the  world 
population  and  the  relative  number  of  the  saved  and  lost? 


XIX 

THE  LOOSING  OF  SATAN  FOR  A  LITTLE  SEA- 
SON AND  HIS  FINAL  DESTRUCTION 

Revelation  XX,  j-io 

THE  text  we  are  to  study  is  as  follows :  "  And  when 
the  thousand  years  are  finished,  Satan  shall  be 
loosed  out  of  his  prison  and  shall  come  forth  to 
deceive  the  nations  which  are  in  the  four  corners  of  the 
earth,  Gog  and  Magog,  to  gather  them  together  for  the 
war:  the  number  of  whom  is  as  the  sands  of  the  sea. 
And  they  went  up  over  the  breadth  of  the  earth,  and 
compassed  the  camp  of  the  saints  about,  and  the  beloved 
city,  and  fire  came  down  out  of  heaven  and  devoured 
them.  And  the  devil  that  deceived  them  was  cast  into 
the  lake  of  fire  and  brimstone,  where  are  also  the  beast 
and  the  false  prophet,  and  they  shall  be  tormented  day 
and  night  forever." 

First,  what  is  the  loosening  of  Satan?  We  have  seen 
the  part  in  the  binding  of  Satan  borne  by  the  saints,  which 
suggests  something  of  the  meaning  of  the  loosening  of 
Satan.  We  are  not  denying  the  overruling  divine  power 
in  the  binding  or  loosening,  but  God  works  through 
agencies.  If  the  churches  and  the  ministers  by  their 
evangelical  preaching  be  the  agencies  to  restrict  and  shut 
up  Satan,  it  is  certain  that  carelessness,  deterioration  in 
piety,  abating  of  revival  power,  will  tend  to  loose  him 
again.     Toward  the  end  of  the  thousand  years  the  Chris- 

284 


xx]  THE  LOOSING  OF  SATAN  285 

tians  may  become  slack  in  their  exercise  of  power,  may 
take  things  for  granted,  the  workers  and  the  evangeHsts 
grow  cold,  which  gives  Satan  his  long  sought  opportunity 
to  renew  the  war. 

Second,  after  the  thousand  years  of  supremacy,  the 
earth  full  of  the  knowledge  of  the  Lord,  how  does  Satan 
find  material  on  which  to  work?  This  question  would 
not  need  to  be  answered  if  everybody  understood  just 
what  the  Millennium  is.  It  is  not  a  period  of  absolute 
sinlessness,  there  is  no  cessation  of  the  power  of  inherited 
depravity  in  the  Millennium  period;  all  people  are  not 
converted,  but  the  Christian  spirit  is  dominant,  they  are 
on  the  throne.  Moreover,  generation  is  not  regeneration, 
nor  is  piety  hereditary.  If  every  adult  in  the  world  were 
converted  at  one  time,  their  children  would  not  thereby 
be  regenerated,  and  so  in  twenty  or  thirty  years,  half 
the  population  of  the  world  would  not  be  converted. 
Yet  again,  while  the  saints  had  the  power  and  influence, 
evil  would  not  dare  to  lift  its  head,  yet  it  might  hold 
itself  in  readiness  for  revolt.  It  is  the  outside  rows  of 
corn,  next  to  the  woods,  that  are  squirrel-eaten.  Our 
lesson  tells  us  that  it  is  in  four  distant  corners  of  the 
world  that  Satan  begins  his  work  after  he  is  loosed. 
The  advantage  of  the  Millennium  consists  largely  in  free- 
dom from  external  solicitation  to  evil,  temptation  from 
Satan.  In  the  last  chapter  I  called  your  attention  to  what 
he  had  done  from  the  outside  to  seduce  unto  evil,  that  is 
removed.  The  unrenewed  nature  of  the  unconverted  is 
there,  every  child  born  during  the  Millennium  is  born  in 
sin.  A  man  being  a  Christian  does  not  make  his  children 
children  of  grace,  but  the  environment  will  increase  the 
probabilities  of  conversion.  Suppose,  for  instance,  every 
civil  officer  in  Fort  Worth  a  Christian,  and  every  officer's 
duties  performed  with  a  view  to  the  glory  of  God,  and 


286  REVELATION  [xx 

there  were  no  saloons,  no  gambling  houses,  no  houses  of 
ill-fame,  it  certainly  would  be  a  much  more  favourable 
condition  in  which  to  lead  souls  to  Christ  than  it  is 
now. 

Third,  what  the  historical  meaning  of  Gog  and  Ma- 
gog ?  We  find  in  Genesis,  tenth  chapter,  that  Magog  was 
a  descendant  of  Japhet,  and  from  Ezekiel  that  Gog  of 
the  land  of  Magog  settled  in  Central  Asia,  and  his  people 
lived  around  the  Caspian  Sea.  They  became  known  to 
history  as  Scythians,  Tartars  or  Parthians,  the  most  tur- 
bulent of  all  the  nations.  In  the  thirty-eighth  and  thirty- 
ninth  chapters  of  Ezekiel,  it  is  predicted  at  length  that, 
after  the  conversion  of  the  Jews  described  in  the  thirty- 
sixth  and  thirty-seventh  chapters,  Gog,  from  the  land 
of  Magog,  will  lead  a  countless  host  against  Jerusalem, 
the  Christian  camp.  Two  whole  chapters  are  devoted 
to  it,  and  that  he  shall  be  overthrown  by  the  power  of 
God.  It  is  this  Ezekiel  prophecy  which  furnishes  the 
symbolism  of  our  lesson. 

In  their  inaccessible  territory,  the  people  of  the  land 
of  Magog  would  be  the  last  to  come  under  the  influence 
of  the  millennial  power,  and  they  would  be  the  first  to 
revolt  against  that  power.  Europe  and  America  would 
most  feel  the  millennial  power;  certain  interior  Oriental 
nations,  most  remote  from  travel,  traffic  and  from  the 
power  of  civilization  and  the  centres  of  Christian  influ- 
ence, if  we  adhere  to  the  strict  terms  here,  will 
furnish  Satan  with  the  material  for  his  last  revolt. 
There  has  always  been  hanging  over  Europe  and  its 
civilization  a  yellow  peril.  Tamerlane  once  came  very 
near  destroying  European  civilization.  He  captured  the 
Sultan  of  Turkey,  who  sought  to  withstand  him,  and  asked 
him :  "  What  would  you  have  done  with  me  if  you  had 
captured  me  ?  "    The  Sultan  said :  "  I  would  have  put  you 


xx]  THE  LOOSING  OF  SATAN  287 

in  a  cage  and  exhibited  you  alive."  "  Then  that  is  what 
I  will  do  with  you,"  said  Tamerlane.  But  as  Ezekiel  and 
Revelation  prophetically  refer  to  the  same  event,  using 
symbolic  language,  it  may  well  be  that  both  use  the 
terms  "  Gog  and  Magog  "  to  image  the  character  of  the 
last  human  opponents  to  the  Kingdom  of  God  without 
intent  to  fix  geographical  boundaries.  The  real  Babylon 
of  ancient  history  was  on  the  Euphrates,  but  the  mystic 
Babylon  was  on  the  Tiber.  So  historically  "  Gog  and 
Magog "  were  in  Central  Asia,  but  the  mystical  Gog 
and  Magog  come  from  some  other  locality. 

Fourth :  What  takes  place  among  the  dead  at  the  loos- 
ening of  Satan?  Ans. :  As  when  the  Christian  was  su- 
preme, and  all  persecutions  were  avenged,  the  righteous 
dead  were,  in  a  figure,  said  to  be  made  alive,  and  to  live 
and  reign  with  Christ  during  that  thousand  years,  and 
as  this  revival  is  called  a  resurrection,  so  when  Satan 
returns  to  power  the  rest  of  the  dead,  that  is,  the  wicked 
dead,  in  the  same  figurative  sense,  shall  live  and  reign 
with  Satan  until  his  final  overthrow,  and  this  is  the 
second  spiritual  resurrection  of  the  lesson,  and  this  will 
follow  immediately  after  the  close  of  the  thousand  years ; 
the  rest  of  the  dead  shall  not  live  until  the  thousand  years 
are  over. 

Fifth :  What,  probably,  the  last  device  of  Satan  for  the 
conquest  of  the  world  ?  Ans. :  He  has  tried  heathen 
persecution ;  he  has  tried  persecution  by  a  counterfeit 
church ;  he  has  tried  to  destroy  national  Israel  ever  since 
to  them  were  given  the  covenants  and  promises,  but  God 
has  preserved  them  throughout  history,  and  He  has  now 
converted  them  and  merged  them  into  a  spiritual  Israel. 
Satan  has  tried  to  palm  off  on  the  people,  the  Jewish 
people,  false  Christs  in  the  place  of  the  true  Christ  who 
was  born   at   Bethlehem.     Our   Saviour,    in    His   great 


288  REVELATION  [xx 

prophecy  recorded  in  the  twenty-fourth  and  twenty-fifth 
chapters  of  Matthew,  tells  about  these  false  Christs. 
Now,  there  remains  only  one  more  possible  impostor. 
He  will  admit  that  Jesus  was  the  historical  Messiah  and 
that  He  ascended  into  heaven,  but  he  will  find  a  person, 
incarnate  himself  in  that  person,  and  claim  that  this  per- 
son is  the  long-expected  Messiah,  who  ascended  unto 
heaven  and  promised  to  return,  and  for  whose  final  ad- 
vent the  whole  world  is  looking.  He  will  accredit  this 
impostor  with  many  lying  signs  and  wonders,  and  in  the 
name  of  the  returning  Messiah  he  will  make  his  last 
effort  to  destroy  the  people  of  the  Messiah,  Our  Lord 
Himself  foretold  that  many  false  Christs  would  appear  to 
divert  attention  from  His  first  coming  in  the  flesh,  but 
it  is  Paul  who  clearly  foretold  this  last  impostor  claiming 
to  be  the  returning  Messiah  in  his  last  advent.  Read 
what  Paul  says,  from  H  Thessalonians,  chapter  ii :  "  Now, 
we  beseech  you,  brethren,  touching  the  coming  of  our 
Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  our  gathering  together  unto  him ; 
to  the  end  that  ye  be  not  quickly  shaken  from  your  mind, 
nor  yet  be  troubled  either  by  spirit  or  by  word,  or  by 
epistle  as  from  us  [purporting  to  come  from  us]  as  that 
the  day  of  the  Lord  is  just  at  hand;  let  no  man  beguile 
you  in  any  wise ;  for  it  will  not  be  except  the  falling  away 
come  first,  and  the  man  of  sin  be  revealed,  the  son  of 
perdition ;  he  that  opposeth  and  exalteth  himself  against 
all  that  is  called  God  or  that  is  worshipped;  so  that  he 
sitteth  in  the  temple  of  God,  setting  himself  forth  as 
God.  Remember  ye  not  that  when  I  was  yet  with  you, 
I  told  you  these  things?  And  now  ye  know  that  which 
restraineth,  to  the  end  that  he  may  be  revealed  in  his  own 
season.  For  the  mystery  of  lawlessness  doth  already 
work ;  only  there  is  one  that  restraineth  now,  until  he  be 
taken  out  of  the  way.     And  then  shall  be  revealed  the 


xx]  THE  LOOSING  OF  SATAN  289 

lawless  one,  whom  the  Lord  Jesus  shall  slay  with  the 
breath  of  his  mouth,  and  bring  to  naught  by  the  mani- 
festation of  his  coming  [this  man  of  sin  will  be  alive  and 
on  the  field  when  Jesus  comes],  even  he  whose  coming 
is  according  to  the  working  of  Satan  with  all  powers  of 
signs  and  lying  wonders,  and  with  all  deceit  and  unright- 
eousness for  them  that  perish ;  because  they  received  not 
the  love  of  the  truth,  that  they  might  be  saved.  And  for 
this  cause  God  sendeth  them  a  working  of  error,  that  they 
should  believe  a  lie;  that  they  all  might  be  judged  who 
believed  not  the  truth,  but  had  pleasure  in  unrighteous- 
ness." 

It  is  impossible  to  locate  that  man  of  sin  in  any  period 
that  does  not  touch  the  last  coming  of  Christ ;  nobody  else 
in  history  fills  that  picture.  There  may  have  been  many 
antichrists,  but  this  man  of  sin  is  the  last ;  he  will  be  on 
the  field  with  false  miracles  and  delusions  when  our  Lord 
Himself  returns  and  destroys  him.  You  are  to  under- 
stand that  in  the  millennial  atmosphere  no  other  impostor 
could  have  a  following;  he  could  not  go  among  those 
Oriental  nations  and  try  to  revive  Confucianism  or  Mo- 
hammedanism, for  the  earth  will  be  full  of  the  knowledge 
of  the  Lord.  He  could  not  put  on  them  any  imposition 
that  does  not  seem  to  be  what  they  are  looking  for.  He 
comes  in  the  church  "  and  sitteth  in  the  temple  of  God," 
which  is  the  church;  he  claims  to  be  God,  and  seeks  to 
be  worshipped  as  God  Himself.  That  is  an  incarnation 
of  the  devil,  claiming  to  be  God,  not  only  God  the  in- 
carnate, as  Christ  was  at  His  first  advent,  but  God  in 
glory  in  His  second  advent.  It  is  only  among  professing 
Christians,  professing,  but  not  possessing,  that  he  can 
do  this  work.  The  whole  world  at  this  time  professes 
Christianity ;  the  whole  world  is  waiting  and  praying  and 
expecting  the  return  of  the  Lord,  and  it  is  upon  that 


290  REVELATION  [xx 

expectation  that  he  rehes  for  the  acceptanc:  of  his  im- 
posture. The  readiness  of  the  Oriental  mind  to  accept 
such  imposture  is  immortaHzed  in  Tom  Moore's  "  Veiled 
Prophet  of  the  Korassan,"  and  illustrated  in  the  various 
Mahdis  which  appear  as  the  one  defeated  by  Kitch- 
ener at  Kartoum  when  he  went  to  avenge  the  death  of 
Gordon. 

Satan's  defeat  is  final ;  his  impostor  is  slain  even  while 
he  is  working  his  false  miracles,  every  kind  of  lying  sign 
and  wonder;  suddenly  a  great  cry  is  heard:  "  Behold  the 
bridegroom !  Go  ye  out  to  meet  him,"  and  the  real  return- 
ing Lord  appears  on  the  scene,  and  that  impostor  shrivels 
up  like  a  piece  of  parchment  exposed  to  a  seven  times 
heated  furnace. 

One  more  humiliation  awaits  Satan,  however,  which 
will  be  considered  in  the  next  chapter.  I  will  close  this 
chapter  with  the  promised  discussion  on  the  historical 
antichrists. 

In  the  second  chapter  of  John's  first  letter,  he  says: 
"  Who  is  the  liar  but  he  that  denieth  that  Jesus  is  the 
Christ?  that  is  the  antichrist,  even  he  that  denieth  the 
Father  and  the  Son."  In  the  fourth  chapter,  verses  2 
and  3,  he  adds :  "  Hereby  know  ye  the  Spirit  of  God : 
every  spirit  that  confesseth  that  Jesus  Christ  is  come  in 
the  flesh  is  of  God ;  and  every  spirit  that  confesseth  not 
Jesus  is  not  of  God ;  and  this  is  the  spirit  of  the  anti- 
christ, whereof  ye  have  heard  that  it  cometh,  and  now 
it  is  in  the  world  already."  Those  two  passages  from 
John  show  you  the  general  meaning  of  the  word  "  anti- 
christ." An  "  anti-local-optionist "  is  one  who  opposes 
local  option,  and  in  this  book  we  have  found  that  seven 
great  world-empires  have  had  the  antichrist  spirit.  Moses 
accepted  the  reproach  of  Christ,  but  Jannes  and  Jambres, 


xx]  THE  LOOSING  OF  SATAN  29,1 

the  magicians  of  Pharaoh,  withstood  him.  Egypt  was 
the  first  world-power  to  oppose  teaching  concerning  the 
coming  Messiah,  who  was  to  bruise  the  serpent's  head. 
Following  Egypt  came  Assyria,  through  whose  kings  the 
ten  tribes  were  led  into  bondage  and  much  harm  done  to 
Judah.  The  next  was  Babylon,  whose  king  destroyed 
Jerusalem  and  led  her  people  into  captivity.  Next  to 
Babylon  came  Persia,  and  it  was  while  Xerxes  the  Great, 
the  husband  of  Esther,  was  ruling,  that  an  effort  was 
made  under  the  leadership  of  Haman  to  entirely  destroy 
the  Jewish  people,  but  it  was  defeated  by  the  providence 
of  God  and  the  instrumentality  of  Mordecai  and  Esther 
herself.  After  the  Persians  came  the  Greek  power. 
And  while  Alexander  himself  was  very  kind  in  his  deal- 
ings with  the  Jews,  after  his  death  came  the  division  of 
his  empire  into  four  separate  states.  Two  of  these  sepa- 
rate governments,  the  Ptolemies  of  Egypt  and  the  Se- 
leucids  in  Antioch,  continually  fought  over  the  Holy 
Land  lying  between  them,  and  one  of  them  particularly, 
Antiochus  Epiphanes,  sought  to  blot  out  the  religion  of 
the  Jews.  Then  came  the  Pagan  Roman  Empire,  the 
Caesars  were  its  antichrist  heads,  and  some  of  the  Caesars 
throughout  Christian  history  are  particularly  called  anti- 
christs :  Nero  was  one  of  them.  He  is  the  man  who, 
after  he  had  burned  Rome,  charged  the  arson  upon  the 
Christians,  and  had  a  long  avenue  fitted  up  on  each  side 
with  stakes,  and  to  each  stake  a  Christian  was  tied  and 
inflammable  material  poured  over  him  and  then  set  on 
fire.  And  Nero,  in  his  chariot,  drove  down  that  path  of 
fire,  lighted  by  burning  Christians.  Hence  all  the  early 
fathers  referred  to  Nero  as  the  antichrist.  But  Domitian, 
a  younger  brother  of  Titus,  the  son  of  Vespasian,  was  a 
worse  persecutor  than  Nero ;  that  is,  his  persecution  was 
more  widely  spread,  and  a  later  emperor,  Decius,  led 


292  REVELATION  [xx 

the  conflict  which  drove  the  church  into  the  wilderness. 
His  persecution  was  the  worst  of  all. 

Now,  it  was  the  custom  among  the  Christians  where 
the  antichrist  spirit  embodied  itself  in  a  person  to  refer 
to  him  as  the  antichrist.  So  when  the  Roman  power 
passed  away,  and  out  of  the  disintegrated  elements  of  that 
heathen  empire  was  constructed  what  is  called  the  Holy 
Roman  Empire,  that  Holy  Roman  Empire  had  a  head 
which  in  this  book  is  called  the  earth-beast,  which  looked 
like  a  lamb,  but  had  the  mouth  of  a  dragon,  and  we  have 
identified  him  as  the  Papacy,  and  so  the  Papacy,  like  the 
Caesars,  becomes  an  antichrist  worse  than  all  others.  As 
some  Csesars  were  worse  than  others,  so  some  Popes 
were  worse  than  others,  but  the  Papacy  as  a  succession 
of  Popes  became  the  embodiment  of  antichrist  to  Chris- 
tian people,  whom  they  persecuted.  Ask  the  dying  Wal- 
denses,  or  Albigenses,  or  ask  Huss  while  he  was  burning, 
or  Jerome  of  Prague,  who  is  the  antichrist,  and  they  say : 
"  The  Pope  of  Rome  is  the  antichrist."  Daniel  foretells 
three  antichrists:  i.  The  "little  horn"  (Daniel  viii,  9), 
which  all  interpreters  of  note  recognize  as  Antiochus 
Epiphanes.  2.  The  Pagan  Roman  Empire  (Daniel  vii, 
7),  passing  into  the  Holy  Roman  Empire.  3.  The  "lit- 
tle horn  "  which  is  the  Papacy  (Daniel  vii,  8;  vii,  19-27). 

But  our  lesson  in  this  chapter  gives  the  last  antichrist, 
Paul's  man  of  sin,  the  most  stupendous  impostor  that 
Satan  ever  sought  to  palm  off  on  the  gullible  nations. 
He  is  a  person;  Satan  takes  possession  of  him  just  as 
demons  took  possession  of  people  in  the  days  of  Christ; 
Satan  speaks  through  him ;  Satan  gives  him  the  power 
to  work  lying  signs  and  wonders.  In  effect  he  says :  "  O 
thou  Christian  world,  looking  for  your  Messiah  to  return, 
I  am  the  Messiah  returning."  Now,  in  the  eighth  chap- 
ter of  Daniel,   in   describing   the  conflict   between  the 


xx]  THE  LOOSING  OF  SATAN  293 

Grecian  and  Persian  power,  he  sees  a  ram  with  two 
horns  (that  is  Medo-Persia),  and  he  sees  a  goat  with 
one  horn  come  up  (that  is  the  Grecian  Empire,  Alexan- 
der the  Great),  that  one  horn  breaking  off  and  the  four 
horns  coming  up,  the  division  of  his  power  into  four 
governments.  And  he  says  there  came  up  a  httle  horn 
on  that  goat,  and  a  great  part  of  the  book  of  Daniel 
is  devoted  to  the  discussion  of  that  little  horn  on  the 
goat.  That  was  Antiochus  Epiphanes,  one  of  the  vilest 
men  that  ever  lived.  He  enacted  it  as  a  decree  that  no 
offering  should  be  presented  to  the  God  of  the  Jews.  He 
himself  had  a  hog,  which  the  Jews  despise,  brought 
in  and  sacrificed  on  the  brazen  altar.  He  demanded 
that  all  the  Old  Testament  Scriptures  be  surrendered  and 
burnt  publicly ;  he  put  anybody  to  death  that  circumcised 
a  child;  he  established  heathen  altars  in  the  very  centre 
of  Jerusalem.  If  you  ask  the  Jew  who  was  the  anti- 
christ, he  will  say :  "  Antiochus  Epiphanes."  And  if  you 
want  to  read  the  most  thrilling  account  of  him  that  I 
know  anything  about,  read  the  book  of  Maccabees  on 
Antiochus  Epiphanes.  You  will  find  an  account  in  Jo- 
sephus,  but  it  is  more  thrilling  in  the  book  of  Maccabees. 
The  seventh  chapter  of  Daniel,  after  describing  the 
four  world-empires,  Rome,  the  last  which  divided  into 
the  ten  kingdoms,  and  was  reconstructed  into  an  empire 
with  one  religion  but  ten  political  heads,  from  the  recon- 
struction came  a  "  little  horn,"  the  Papacy,  which  ab- 
sorbed three  of  the  other  horns,  and  it  spoke  great 
swelling  words  of  blasphemy,  and  made  war  against  the 
saints.  We  have  identified  in  this  discussion  that  anti- 
christ with  the  Papacy,  that  is  the  little  horn  that  over- 
threw three  of  the  kingdoms  into  which  the  Roman  Em- 
pire was  divided.  Papal  states,  of  which  he  was  the 
political  head,  as  well  as  the  ecclesiastical  head,  and  held 


REVELATION  [xx 

the  power  over  them  until  the  days  of  Victor  Emmanuel ; 
we  have  seen  him  as  the  antichrist.  I  give  you  this  gen- 
eral discussion  of  antichrists  in  order  that  you  may  see 
that  the  term  expresses  either  the  principle  of  opposition 
to  the  Messiah,  or  its  embodiment  in  a  person  or  succes- 
sion of  persons,  as  the  Caesars  or  the  Popes. 

"  Who  is  the  liar,"  says  John, — the  "  boss  liar," — "  but 
he  that  denieth  that  God  was  manifest  in  the  flesh?  " — he 
is  the  antichrist,  and  he  says  there  are  many  antichrists. 
I  repeat,  then,  that  antichrist  may  represent  a  principle, 
and  it  may  be  embodied  in  a  person  as  it  was  embodied 
in  Antiochus  Epiphanes  and  in  Nero  and  in  Domitian  and 
Decius,  in  the  Papacy,  and  last  and  most  important,  in 
this  Man  of  Sin.  I  want  to  say  to  the  reader  that  I 
was  thirty  years  in  disposing  of  Paul's  Man  of  Sin.  All 
the  Protestant  Commentaries  say  that  the  Pope  is  the 
Man  of  Sin,  but  I  have  already  shown  you  that  the 
Romanist  counterfeit  church  passes  away  before  the 
coming  of  Christ,  and  that  the  beast, — the  politico-re- 
ligious government,  the  union  of  church  and  state, — 
passes  away,  and  that  the  false  prophet  passes  away. 
But  Paul's  Man  of  Sin  is  the  most  blasphemous  of  all 
the  incarnations  of  evil  that  ever  took  place  on  the  earth. 
And  the  part  that  bothered  me  is  that  he  is  living  and 
holding  the  fort  following  the  Millennium.  He  is  com- 
ing, with  lying  wonders  and  signs,  and  with  unabashed 
front  sits  in  the  temple  (that  is,  in  the  churches),  claim- 
ing to  be  God,  up  to  the  very  time  that  the  cry  is  heard : 
"  Behold,  the  bridegroom  cometh."  You  cannot  put  him 
anywhere  else  but  after  the  Millennium  period,  nor  can 
you  conceive  of  any  other  kind  of  impostor,  filled  by 
Satan,  that  would  fit  into  the  period.  I  once  said  that 
the  devil  had  very  few  original  ideas,  but  he  has  many 
suits  of  clothes  for  each  idea.     He  is  a  past  master  on 


xx]  THE  LOOSING  OF  SATAN  295 

reproducing  an  idea  in  a  different  costume  and  fooling 
you  with  a  change  of  clothes.  Mark  Twain's  "  Inno- 
cents Abroad  "  tells  of  an  American  traveller  in  Europe 
going  into  an  inn  and  calling  for  a  special  brand  of  very 
rare  wine,  of  which  only  a  few  thousand  bottles  are 
made  each  crop.  When  they  brought  the  wine,  the 
traveller  protested  that  it  was  not  the  kind  ordered,  as 
evident  from  the  label  and  taste.  The  head  waiter 
looked  at  it  and  said,  "  I  see,  it  has  the  wrong  label."  And 
he  reached  into  a  drawer  and  got  another  label  which  he 
put  on  it  and  then  handed  it  to  them  as  the  right  kind. 
It  was  a  mere  change  of  label.  There  had  been  no 
change  in  the  wine.  So  the  devil  is  a  past  master  in 
labels  and  costumes,  but  scant  in  original  ideas.  The 
idea  is  the  same,  the  principle  the  same,  whether  Egypt, 
Assyria,  Babylon,  Persia,  Greece,  Pagan  Rome,  or  Papal 
Rome ;  whether  the  Pharaohs,  the  Seleucids  or  the  Popes 
are  the  leaders. 

Now,  so  far  as  the  wars  coming  from  the  devil  are 
concerned,  we  are  done  with  them  in  this  book.  We 
have  his  Man  of  Sin  on  the  scene,  in  the  arena,  telling  his 
lies,  working  his  miracles,  who  is  to  be  stricken  down 
by  the  second  coming  of  Christ. 

The  examination  questions  on  this  chapter  are  embodied  in 
the  text  itself,  as  it  was  prepared  in  the  form  of  a  catechism. 


XX 


THE  SECOND  ADVENT  OF  OUR  LORD;  THE 
GENERAL  RESURRECTION  OF  THE  DEAD; 
AND  THE  GENERAL  AND  FINAL  JUDGMENT 

Revelation  XX,  11-15 

THE  passages  we  will  study  are  as  follows :  "  And 
I  saw  a  great  white  throne,  and  him  that  sat  upon 
it,  from  whose  face  the  earth  and  the  heaven 
fled  away ;  and  there  was  found  no  place  for  them.  And 
I  saw  the  dead,  the  great  and  the  small,  standing  before 
the  throne;  and  the  books  were  opened;  and  another 
book  was  opened  which  is  the  book  of  life;  and  the  dead 
were  judged  out  of  the  things  which  were  written  in 
the  books,  according  to  their  works.  And  the  sea  gave 
up  the  dead  that  were  in  it;  and  death  and  Hades  gave 
up  the  dead  that  were  in  them;  and  they  were  judged 
every  man  according  to  their  works.  And  death  and 
Hades  were  cast  into  the  lake  of  fire.  This  is  the  second 
death,  even  the  lake  of  fire.  And  if  any  man  was  not 
found  written  in  the  book  of  life,  he  was  cast  into  the 
lake." 

I  will  reserve  the  seriatim  and  verbatim  explanation 
of  this  passage,  sentence  by  sentence,  for  the  next  chap- 
ter. The  object  of  the  present  study  is  to  lead  up  to  it 
in  a  way  that  you  will  never  again  misunderstand,  for 
the  theme  of  this  lesson  is :  "  The  second  advent  of  our 
Lord,  the  general  resurrection  of  the  dead,  and  the  gen- 

296 


xx]  SECOND  ADVENT  OF  OUR  LORD      297 

eral  and  final  judgment."     I  will  put  this  chapter  before 
you  in  a  catechetical  form : 

1.  Why  was  the  first  advent  necessary?  First,  to  set 
up  a  visible  kingdom  here  upon  the  earth,  which  would 
absorb  all  other  kingdoms,  and  to  appoint  the  executive 
bodies,  the  churches,  in  that  kingdom,  with  ministers  and 
ordinances.  Second,  to  make  expiation  for  the  sin  of 
the  world,  to  come  as  the  Lamb  of  God  to  take  away  the 
sin  of  the  world.  Third,  to  destroy  the  works  of  the  devil. 
Now,  those  are  the  three  great  reasons  of  His  first  ad- 
vent ;  you  could  put  in  a  number  of  others,  but  I  ask  you 
to  notice  particularly  the  object  to  set  up  here  on  this 
earth  a  visible  kingdom. 

2.  What  the  sign  of  that  first  advent  ?  The  angels  who 
announced  to  the  shepherds  that  a  Prince  and  Saviour 
was  born  unto  Israel,  said  to  them :  "  This  shall  be  a  sign 
to  you,  you  will  find  a  babe  wrapped  in  swaddling  clothes, 
and  lying  in  a  manger."  He  prepared  that  lowly  sign  for 
His  first  coming  because  He  stooped  to  come,  emptied 
Himself  of  His  glory,  and  took  upon  Him  the  form  of  a 
servant.  The  sign  of  His  first  advent  was  to  be  a  baby  in 
a  horse  trough. 

3.  When  that  first  advent,  and  was  the  date  of  it  fixed? 
Paul  says,  in  Galatians  iv,  4,  that  in  the  fulness  of  time 
God  sent  forth  His  own  Son,  made  of  a  woman.  The 
time  had  to  be  ripe.  That  was  four  thousand  years  since 
the  devil  usurped  the  kingdom  of  this  world  by  the  fall  of 
man,  and  how  many  people  wore  out  their  eyes  watching 
for  that  coming !  Eve  thought  when  Cain  was  born  that 
the  promise  was  fulfilled.  She  said :  "  I  have  gotten  the 
man  from  Jehovah " — i.e.,  the  promised  seed.  And 
every  mother  in  Israel  had  the  hope  that  she  would 
be  the  one  through  whom  the  promise  would  be  ful- 
filled; and  as  the  ages  passed  away  in  waitirig,  prophe- 


298  REVELATION  [xx 

cies  became  clearer,  more  definite,  until,  the  world  being 
prepared,  Christ  came. 

4.  How  long  did  He  remain?  About  thirty-three 
years. 

5.  What  office  did  He  complete  in  that  time?  The 
office  of  sacrifice.  His  offices  are  Prophet,  Sacrifice, 
Priest,  King  and  Judge.  But  while  He  was  on  earth 
the  first  time,  He  absolutely  and  forever  fulfilled  and 
completed  the  office  of  sacrifice,  as  we  will  learn  in  the 
ninth  and  tenth  chapters  of  Hebrews,  that  He  made  one 
ofifering  for  sin,  once  for  all,  never  to  be  repeated.  That 
office  work  was  finished. 

6.  What  office  work  was  partly  completed  ?  The  office 
of  prophet.  As  prophet  He  is  the  teacher,  the  revelator, 
and  a  great  part  of  His  teaching  is  revelation  given  in 
His  lifetime. 

7.  What  part  of  His  high-priest  office  was  completed 
between  His  death  and  His  resurrection?  Just  as  soon 
as  His  body  died  His  spirit  went  to  the  Father :  "  Father, 
into  thy  hands  I  commit  my  spirit."  According  to  the 
sixteenth  chapter  of  Leviticus  on  the  great  day  of  atone- 
ment, it  was  necessary  for  the  high  priest  to  take  the 
sacrificial  blood,  while  it  was  fresh  and  hot  and  smoking, 
and  carry  it  into  the  most  holy  place,  and  offer  it  at  the 
mercy-seat,  and  on  the  basis  of  it  to  make  atonement. 
There  could  be  no  delay.  Now,  we  learn  from  the  ninth 
and  tenth  chapters  of  Hebrews,  that  He  did,  through  the 
veil  of  His  flesh,  the  rent  veil  of  His  flesh,  pass  up  into 
the  true  Holy  of  Holies,  and  by  the  sprinkling  of  His 
blood  sanctified  that  pattern  of  earth's  most  holy 
place. 

8.  Where,  when  and  why  does  His  soul  return  to  earth  ? 
The  first  chapter  of  Hebrews  tells  us  that  His  soul  that 
had  made  the  offering  in  the  most  Holy  of  Holies,  re- 


xx]  SECOND  ADVENT  OF  OUR  LORD      299 

turned  for  His  body,  "  when  he  again  bringeth  in  the 
firstborn  into  the  world,"  referring  to  His  resurrection 
as  the  reason. 

9.  Where  is  He  now?  I  will  not  quote  all  the  pas- 
sages, but  I  want  you  to  have  a  Scriptural  foundation  for 
every  thought.  (Acts  i,  2)  :  "  Until  the  day  in  which 
he  was  received  up,  after  that  he  had  given  command- 
ment through  the  Holy  Spirit  unto  the  apostles  whom  he 
had  chosen";  and  again  in  the  nth  verse:  "Ye  men  of 
Galilee,  why  stand  ye  here  looking  into  the  heavens? 
This  Jesus  who  was  received  up  from  you  into  heaven 
shall  so  come  in  like  manner  as  ye  have  seen  him  going 
into  heaven."  And  as  Paul,  in  I  Timothy  iii,  16,  gives 
a  summary  of  the  truth  as  follows :  "  First,  God  was 
manifest  in  the  flesh,  and  so  manifested  he  was  justified 
by  the  Spirit ;  so  manifested,  he  was  recognized  by  the 
angels ;  so  manifested,  he  was  preached  unto  the  nations ; 
he  was  believed  on  where  preached ;  and  finally,  he  was 
received  up  into  glory."  So  one  of  the  fundamental 
articles  of  the  truth  is  that  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  having 
finished  the  work  of  His  first  advent,  has  now  been  re- 
ceived into  glory.  I  want  to  give  you  some  Old  Testa- 
ment passages  on  it,  on  His  reception  into  heaven.  I 
read  from  the  twenty- fourth  Psalm :  "  Lift  up  your  heads, 
O  ye  gates,  and  be  ye  lifted  up,  ye  everlasting  doors,  and 
the  King  of  glory  will  come  in.  Who  is  the  King  of 
glory  ?  Jehovah,  strong  and  mighty ;  Jehovah,  mighty 
in  battle."  Notice  this  passage  from  the  seventh  chapter 
of  Daniel;  in  the  second  chapter  Daniel  tells  us  that  in 
the  days  of  the  Roman  kings  God  Himself  would  set  up 
a  visible  kingdom  which  would  become  a  mountain  and 
fill  the  world.  In  the  seventh  chapter  he  tells  where  He 
went  after  setting  up  His  kingdom,  and  when.  I  com- 
mence at  the  13th  verse:  "I  saw  in  the  night  visions; 


800  REVELATION  [xx 

and  behold,  there  came  with  the  clouds  of  heaven,  one 
like  unto  the  Son  of  man,  and  he  came  even  to  the  An- 
cient of  days,  and  they  brought  him  near  before  them, 
and  there  was  given  him  dominion,  and  glory,  and  a 
kingdom,  that  all  the  peoples,  nations  and  languages 
should  serve  him.  His  dominion  is  an  everlasting  do- 
minion which  shall  not  pass  away,  and  his  kingdom  that 
which  shall  not  be  destroyed."  You  see  there  one  of  the 
objects  of  His  being  received  up  into  glory  when  He  had 
established  His  earthly  kingdom,  for  enthronement  and 
coronation. 

I  now  quote  a  part  of  the  second  Psalm,  which  Peter 
quotes  in  direct  connection :  "  Why  do  the  heathen  na- 
tions rage,  and  the  peoples  meditate  a  vain  thing?  The 
kings  of  the  earth  set  themselves,  and  the  rulers  take 
counsel  together  against  Jehovah,  and  against  his 
anointed,  saying:  Let  us  break  their  bonds  asunder,  and 
cast  away  their  cords  from  us.  He  that  sitteth  in  the 
heavens  will  laugh ;  the  Lord  will  have  them  in  derision. 
Then  will  he  speak  unto  them  in  his  wrath,  and  vex  them 
in  his  sore  displeasure :  Yet  have  I  set  my  king  upon  my 
holy  hill  of  Zion."  I  say,  Peter  quotes  that  very  passage, 
showing  how  Pontius  Pilate  and  Herod  conspired  to- 
gether; but  that  God  set  Jesus  upon  the  throne  of  Zion, 
and  gave  to  Him  all  the  uttermost  parts  of  the  earth  for 
a  possession. 

Now,  Acts  vii,  55 :  "  But  Stephen,  being  full  of  the 
Holy  Spirit,  looked  up  steadfastly  into  the  heavens  and 
saw  the  glory  of  God  and  Jesus  standing  at  the  right 
hand  of  God,  and  he  said :  Behold,  I  see  the  heavens 
opened  and  the  Son  of  man  standing  on  the  right  hand 
of  God." 

10.  For  what  purpose  is  he  so  received  into  glory? 
If  you  do  not  know  that,  you  stand  little  chance  to  be- 


xx]  SECOND  ADVENT  OF  OUR  LORD      301 

come  a  theologian.  First,  He  went  up  there  to  be 
crowned  king  over  the  kingdom  He  had  set  up  here  upon 
earth,  and  indeed  to  be  the  King  of  kings  and  the  Lord 
of  lords.  In  Acts  ii,  36,  Peter,  on  the  day  of  Pentecost, 
says  to  the  Jews :  "  You  killed  the  Prince  of  life,  but 
God  hath  made  him  both  Lord  and  Christ."  In  Acts  v, 
31,  he  repeats  again  that  the  one  whom  they  rejected  and 
betrayed,  God  had  made  king.  In  Philippians  ii,  9-1 1, 
Paul  tells  us  what  the  meritorious  ground  of  His  being 
made  king.  He  said :  "  Because  he  had  emptied  himself 
of  his  glory,  and  taken  upon  himself  the  form  of  a  serv- 
ant, therefore  God  had  rightly  exalted  him  and  had  given 
him  a  name  which  is  above  every  other  name,  that  before 
him  every  knee  should  bow  and  every  tongue  confess 
him."  So  that  is  one  reason  He  is  there :  He  is  there  to 
reign,  using  all  authority  in  heaven  and  on  earth  to 
spread  the  kingdom  which  He  established,  to  aid  the 
churches  and  the  preachers,  and  through  the  Holy  Spirit 
to  empower  them  to  make  the  kingdoms  of  this  world 
become  the  kingdom  of  our  Lord.  That  is  one  reason 
He  is  there.  To  this  end,  when  He  was  made  king.  He 
sent  down  the  other  Paraclete,  His  vicar,  His  vicegerent, 
His  alter  ego,  the  Holy  Spirit,  to  be  with  His  church 
and  in  His  church,  and  to  accredit  that  church.  And  so, 
on  the  day  of  Pentecost,  the  church  was  baptized  in 
the  Holy  Spirit  and  in  power. 

Next,  He  is  there  to  complete  the  office  of  prophet. 
After  He  ascended  to  heaven  He  called  Paul  and  gave 
him  His  gospel,  and  here  in  this  book  that  we  are  study- 
ing. Revelation,  He  completes  His  prophetic  office. 
There  will  not  be  anything  more  of  His  prophetic  work; 
you  cannot  add  to  what  He  has  taught ;  you  cannot  take 
anything  from  it.  When  He  comes  back  next  time.  He 
does  not  come  in  a  teaching  capacity. 


302  REVELATION  [xx 

Last,  He  is  there  to  complete  the  high  priest  office. 
I  told  you  that  one  part  of  His  priestly  office  was  com- 
pleted between  His  death  and  resurrection.  The  other 
part  of  it  is  to  ever  live  to  make  intercession  for  His 
people.  So  Jesus  is  there  reigning,  making  all  things 
work  together  for  good  to  them  that  love  God,  using 
every  power  of  heaven  and  earth  to  help  the  churches 
that  are  carrying  out  His  mission  here  on  earth.  He 
is  there  to  intercede  and  offering  the  prayers  that 
earth  sends  up.  When  He  comes  away  the  high  priest 
office  is  ended,  because  He  vacates  the  Holy  of  Holies. 
And  concerning  the  New  Jerusalem  of  the  next  chapter 
it  is  said :  "  I  saw  no  temple  therein,"  that  is,  no  place 
to  offer  sacrifices,  no  place  for  priestly  manifestations. 
That  work  is  ended. 

II.  How  long  will  He  remain  up  there?  We  know 
that  some  people  insist  that  from  the  day  He  left  He 
might  come  back  any  minute ;  that  His  second  coming  is 
always  imminent.  Imminent  means  liable  to  happen  any 
moment.  Now,  we  come  to  the  question:  How  long 
will  He  remain  up  there?  I  give  you  some  scriptures  on 
it:  First,  the  testimony  of  David,  which  Christ  Himself 
quoted  and  applied  to  Himself,  the  one-hundred-and-tenth 
Psalm :  "  The  Lord  said  unto  my  Lord,  Sit  thou  at  my 
right  hand  until  I  make  thine  enemies  thy  footstool" ; 
He  must  stay  there  in  heaven  until  His  enemies  have 
been  conquered.  Taking  Paul  as  a  witness  (I  Corin- 
thians XV,  26)  :  "  He  must  reign  until  all  of  his  enemies 
are  put  under  his  feet."  We  do  not  see  everything  put 
under  His  feet,  says  Paul,  but  His  reign  must  last  until 
this  is  accomplished.  Now,  take  Peter  as  a  witness  (I 
Peter,  third  chapter)  :  "  Repent  ye  and  turn,  so  that  your 
sins  may  be  blotted  out,  and  so  that  refreshing  may  come 
from  the  presence  of  the  Lord,  and  so  that  he  may  send 


xx]         SECOND  ADVENT  OF  OUR  LORD      303 

Jesus  whom  the  heavens  must  receive  until  the  time  of 
the  restoration  of  all  things."  You  cannot  get  the  force 
of  that  unless  you  understand  "  the  restoration  of  all 
things  " ;  he  says :  "  v^hich  all  of  the  prophets  from  the 
beginning  of  the  world  have  spoken,"  not  a  thing  in  any 
Old  Testament  prophecy  foretold  as  preceding  His  ad- 
vent but  must  be  fulfilled  before  He  comes,  and  par- 
ticularly is  that  true  of  the  restoration  of  the  Jews. 
Now,  when  we  come  to  the  New  Testament  prophecies 
we  will  find  the  same  thing,  whom  the  heavens  must  re- 
ceive until  every  antecedent  thing  the  New  Testament 
prophecies  have  foretold  is  fulfilled.  I  want  to  get  that 
idea  of  imminency  out  of  your  mind.  The  first  witness 
is  the  Lord  Himself,  and  I  quoted  from  His  great 
prophecy,  which  you  will  find  on  the  i6oth  page  of  your 
Harmony.  There  the  question  is  propounded  to  Jesus : 
"  When  will  Jerusalem  be  destroyed,  and  what  is  the  sign 
of  it,  and  what  is  the  sign  of  thy  coming  and  of  the  end 
of  the  world  ?  " — these  are  the  questions  He  is  answering. 
Now,  listen  at  Him  talk  on  that :  *'  Take  heed  that  no 
man  lead  you  astray ;  many  shall  come  in  my  name,  say- 
ing, I  am  the  Christ,  and  shall  lead  many  astray.  Ye 
shall  hear  of  wars  and  rumours  of  wars;  see  that  ye  be 
not  troubled,  for  these  things  must  needs  come  to  pass, 
but  the  end  is  not  yet.  Nations  shall  rise  against  nations 
and  kingdoms  against  kingdoms,  and  there  shall  be  fam- 
ines and  earthquakes  in  divers  places."  Then  He  goes 
on  to  state :  "  Jerusalem  shall  be  trodden  under  foot  until 
the  time  of  the  Gentiles  shall  be  fulfilled,  and  that  after 
the  long  Jewish  tribulation  has  ended  by  their  salvation, 
then  will  appear  the  sign  of  the  Son  of  man  in  heaven." 
I  heard  one  man  say  that  he  looked  for  Him  every  day. 
I  heard  a  pre-millennialist  say  that  when  he  got  up  every 
morning  he  looked  out  of  the  window  to  see  his  Lord 


804  REVELATION  [xx 

coming.  I  asked  him  what  right  he  had  to  expect  that; 
if  the  times  of  the  Gentiles  had  been  fulfilled ;  if  he  saw 
indication  that  the  fulness  of  the  Gentiles  had  come. 
They  are  yet  sweeping  the  earth  with  the  power  of  the 
gospel,  and  the  Jew's  salvation  has  not  come  yet.  King- 
doms have  fallen,  pestilences  have  come,  but  this  is  not 
the  sign ;  "  the  end  is  not  yet." 

Now,  suppose  we  take  Paul  as  a  witness  (II  Thessa- 
lonians,  chapter  ii)  :  "  Do  not  be  deceived;  do  not  let  any 
man  lead  you  astray,  either  as  reporting  what  I  have  said, 
or  as  quoting  a  letter  purporting  to  come  from  me  to  the 
effect  that  the  day  of  the  Lord  is  at  hand.  That  day 
cannot  come  until  there  first  be  the  great  apostasy;  it 
cannot  come  until  the  Man  of  Sin  be  revealed  " ;  and  he 
will  be  living  when  Christ  comes.  Suppose  we  take 
Peter  as  a  witness:  in  the  third  chapter  of  his  second 
letter  he  tells  us  that  "  The  delay  in  the  coming  of  the 
Lord  will  be  so  great  that  men  will  be  saying :  Where  is 
the  promise  of  His  coming?  Ever  since  the  fathers  fell 
asleep  everything  continues  just  as  it  was  since  the  days 
of  our  Lord."     That  is  the  testimony  of  Peter. 

12.  What  is  the  testimony  of  John?  We  have  just 
been  over  it  in  this  book.  He  shows  you  four  synchro- 
nous views  of  things  that  must  happen  before  the  final 
advent,  whom  the  heavens  must  receive  until  everything 
spoken  of  by  the  ancient  prophets  has  been  fulfilled ;  until 
everything  spoken  by  the  New  Testament  prophets  has 
been  fulfilled.  I  once  asked  a  man  this  question :  "  Do 
you  suppose  Peter  expected  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  to 
come  in  his  lifetime  ?  "  He  says :  "  Certainly  he  did." 
"  Why,  then,  did  he  write  that  the  Lord  had  shown  him 
how  he  was  to  die  ?  "  He  knew  he  would  not  live  until 
the  coming  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  that  is  why 
Christ,  and  Paul,  and  Peter,  and  John,  all  hedge  so  care- 


xx]  SECOND  ADVENT  OF  OUR  LORD      305 

fully,  take  so  many  pains,  to  prevent  a  delusion  upon  this 
subject. 

13.  Will  it  be  a  long  time  till  He  comes?  I  will  read 
you  what  He  Himself  says;  167th  page  of  your  Har- 
mony; it  is  at  the  beginning  of  the  parable  of  the  talents, 
as  given  in  the  twenty-fifth  chapter  of  Matthew :  "  As 
when  a  man  going  into  another  country,  calls  in  his  serv- 
ants and  delivers  unto  them  his  goods.  Now,  after  a  long 
time,  the  lord  of  these  servants  cometh  and  reckoning 
with  them," — after  a  long  time.  Why,  then,  is  it  said 
He  is  "  coming  quickly  "  ?  "  Behold,  I  come  quickly." 
In  God's  sight  a  thousand  years  are  as  a  day,  or  a  watch 
in  the  night,  but  to  man  it  will  not  be  quickly,  not  to  the 
human  race. 

14.  Then,  is  it  liable  to  happen  at  any  moment? 
Nineteen  hundred  years  have  passed  away,  and  in  the 
march  of  events  some  of  the  prophesied  things  have  taken 
place:  The  Roman  Empire  has  passed  away;  the  Holy 
Roman  Empire  has  passed  away,  and  the  counterfeit 
church  is  badly  shattered,  though  on  its  feet  yet.  But 
you  know  it  is  not  liable  to  happen  just  at  any  mo- 
ment. 

15.  Why,  then,  does  our  Lord  say,  "  Because  ye  know 
not  the  hour  when  he  cometh,  and  as  he  cometh  like  a 
thief  in  the  night,  watch,  be  ye  ready:  what  I  say  unto 
you  I  say  unto  all,  Watch,  be  ready  "  ?  How  do  you  ex- 
plain that?  I  can  make  it  so  plain  to  you  that  a  Sunday 
School  child  can  see  it.  There  is  NOT  a  long  time  be- 
tween YOU  and  the  second  coming  of  Christ.  The  only 
time  between  YOU  and  the  second  coming  of  Christ  is  the 
time  between  the  present  and  your  death.  I  mean  to  say 
that  just  as  soon  as  you  die  you  strike  eternity ;  you  are 
out  of  time,  and  your  only  time  to  watch  and  make  your- 
self ready  is  while  you  are  living.     John's  time  to  get 


306  REVELATION  [xx 

ready  was  while  he  was  living ;  when  he  died  he  went  into 
eternity,  and  in  eternity  there  is  no  measurement  of  time. 
We  have  to  prepare  for  that  advent  while  we  are  living. 
If  we  put  it  off  until  the  historical  event  of  the  advent, 
then  we  never  will  be  ready. 

i6.  What  construction,  then,  do  we  put  on  the  long 
time  between  His  ascension  into  heaven  and  His  second 
coming?  Peter  explains  it  in  the  third  chapter  of  his 
second  letter.  He  says :  "  We  must  construe  that  the 
long-suffering  of  God  meaneth  salvation  " ;  "  not  wishing 
that  any  should  perish,"  but  that  all  should  come  to  the 
knowledge  of  the  truth  and  be  repentant.  Look  at  that. 
"  Lord,  why  do  you  stay  away  so  long  ?  "  "  Because  I 
want  everybody  to  repent." 

17.  What  doctrine  is  involved  in  that?  That  after  He 
comes  nobody  can  repent.  Let  me  prove  it  to  you ;  I 
will  let  Him  prove  it  to  you:  Here  in  substance  is 
Matthew  xxv,  1-14:  "  Then  shall  the  kingdom  of  heaven 
be  like  unto  ten  virgins :  five  wise  and  five  foolish ;  and 
while  they  wait  for  the  bridegroom  they  slept.  Five 
of  them  had  oil  in  their  lamps,  and  five  did  not."  At  last 
the  cry  is  heard :  "  Behold  the  bridegroom ;  come  ye 
forth  to  meet  him."  And  the  five  foolish  ones  said, 
"  Give  us  of  your  oil — let  me  borrow."  You  cannot  bor- 
row. "  And  while  they  were  gone  off  to  get  it,  he  came. 
And  they  came  up  and  knocked  and  said.  Lord,  Lord, 
open  unto  us ;  and  he  said,  Depart  from  me,  I  never  knew 
you,"  as  our  song  has  it :  "  Too  late !  Too  late !  You 
cannot  enter  now."  No  one  who  waits  until  Christ 
comes  can  make  any  preparation.  He  comes  as  a  thief 
in  the  night,  and  as  suddenly  as  the  flood  came  in  the 
days  of  Noah,  and  while  they  were  eating  and  drinking 
and  giving  in  marriage,  like  a  clap  of  thunder  from  a 
cloudless  sky,  the  Messiah  is  come,  and  those  who  are 


xx]  SECOND  ADVENT  OF  OUR  LORD      307 

ready  go  in,  and  those  who  are  not  ready  stay  out 
forever. 

i8.  Now,  why  is  that  true?  Because  the  High  Priest 
has  left  the  place  of  intercession;  because  the  kingly 
government  is  at  an  end.  (I  Corinthians  xv,  25.) 
When  He  comes  He  comes  to  turn  over  the  kingdom  to 
the  Father,  and  that  is  the  end;  and  some  people  who 
are  looking  for  Him  to  establish  His  kingdom  after  He 
comes,  will  just  see  Him  giving  up  the  kingdom,  for  the 
kingdom  will  be  over. 

The  Spirit  dispensation  is  over.  The  Spirit  is  His 
vicar  while  He  is  absent;  when  Christ  comes  back  the 
Spirit  work  stops,  the  church  work  stops,  and  the  time 
institution  is  become  the  bride  in  glory,  and  the  bride, 
the  elect,  is  complete ;  there  is  no  more  to  be  added.  The 
memorial  of  the  church  ends.  "  Ye  show  forth  his 
death  until  he  comes ;  ye  memorialize  his  burial  and 
resurrection  in  baptism  until  he  comes,"  but  when  He 
comes  those  ordinances  stop ;  every  office  of  Jesus  Christ 
ends,  but  one,  and  I  will  tell  you  what  that  is  in  a  minute. 

19.  Now,  then,  what  are  the  purposes  of  His  final 
coming?  What  does  He  come  for?  Why  did  He  come 
the  first  time?  And  after  ascending,  why  does  He  stay 
up  yonder,  and  when  He  comes  back,  what  is  He  to  do? 
First,  in  general  terms,  to  wind  up  the  afifairs  of  time  and 
this  world,  to  raise  the  dead,  and  to  render  His  final 
judgment.  Not  another  thing  has  He  before  Him  when 
He  comes;  the  Lord  who  has  gone  into  another  country 
for  a  long  time  comes  back  to  reckon  with  His  servants. 

20.  Is  that  day  fixed?  Some  people  who  want  it  to 
happen  any  minute  would  have  it  a  sliding  scale,  maybe 
to-day,  maybe  to-morrow,  maybe  next  week.  Let  us  ask 
Paul  (Acts  xvii,  31):  God  "hath  appointed  a  day  in 
which  he  will  judge  the  world  in  righteousness  by  the 


308  REVELATION  [xx 

man  whom  he  hath  ordained :  wherefore  he  hath  given  as- 
surance unto  all  men,  in  that  he  hath  raised  him  from 
the  dead."  It  is  as  unalterably  fixed  as  was  the  day  of 
His  first  advent.  I  do  not  know  the  day  nor  the  hour, 
nor  do  you,  but  God  does;  the  day  is  appointed. 

21.  What  the  sign  of  this  second  advent?  Now,  I 
told  you  the  sign  of  His  first  advent:  "You  shall  see  a 
babe  in  swaddling  clothes  lying  in  a  manger  " ;  that  is, 
Christ  comes  in  His  humiliation.  Now,  the  next  time. 
He  is  to  come  in  His  glory,  and  you  must  expect  a  sign 
just  as  far  away  from  the  manger  as  possible.  What  is 
that  sign?  He  says:  "When  the  Son  of  man  shall 
come  in  his  glory,  he  shall  sit  upon  the  throne  of  his 
glory."  "  And  I  saw  a  great  white  throne  " ;  there  is 
the  sign.  At  the  first  coming  I  saw  a  babe  in  a  manger ; 
at  the  second  coming,  from  the  manger  to  the  throne,  "  I 
saw  a  great  white  throne  and  him  that  sat  on  it,"  and 
the  sign  will  be  visible  in  the  deepest  darkness  that  ever 
fell  upon  the  earth.  He  says  so  Himself.  He  says  that 
after  the  tribulation  of  the  Jews  and  their  salvation, 
that  the  sun  shall  lose  its  light  immediately,  not  imme- 
diately after  the  tribulation,  but  lose  it  suddenly,  in- 
stantly, and  the  moon  shall  lose  her  light,  and  the  stars 
their  light,  and  every  light  in  the  world  goes  out,  and 
against  that  background  of  total  pitch  darkness  we  see 
a  white  throne  coming,  the  white  against  the  blackness. 
Nobody  will  make  a  mistake  in  that ;  I  tell  you,  whoever 
enters  into  that  darkness  and  whoever  sees  that  white 
throne  coming,  a  throne,  not  of  a  king,  but  of  a  judge, 
the  throne  of  final  judgment,  he  will  not  make  any  mis- 
take about  Christ's  coming. 

Now,  to  make  it  clearer  to  you,  Paul  says  in  his  first 
tetter  to  the  Thessalonians,  fourth  chapter :  "  He  will 
come  with  a  great  sound  of  the  trumpet."    The  earth 


xx]  SECOND  ADVENT  OF  OUR  LORD      309 

never  heard  that  trumpet  sound  but  once  before,  when 
the  law  was  given  on  Mount  Sinai.  Then  there  was 
heard  the  sound  of  a  trumpet  that  waxed  louder  and 
louder,  until  the  people  were  terrified  for  their  very  lives. 
Do  not  adopt  negro  theology,  which  says  that  this  is  the 
trumpet  of  Gabriel  to  wake  the  dead.  It  is  the  trumpet 
to  summon  the  angels  when  the  Son  of  man  shall  come 
in  His  glory  and  all  the  holy  angels  with  Him.  That 
trumpet  blast  in  that  blackness,  heralding  that  white 
throne,  will  be  the  loudest  thing  the  earth  ever  heard; 
ten  thousand  times  ten  thousand  claps  of  thunder  will 
not  equal  the  roll  and  reverberation  of  that  last  trumpet 
sound.  To  keep  you  from  being  mistaken  further,  he 
says  that  "  he  will  come  with  a  great  shout,"  and  we 
know  exactly  what  the  shout  is,  for  he  tells  us ;  we  know 
the  very  words  of  it:  "  Behold  the  bridegroom,  come  ye 
forth  to  meet  him."     Can  you  mistake  that? 

Now,  notice,  please,  what  I  tell  you  about  anybody 
being  saved  after  His  second  advent :  "  Two  men  shall 
be  working  in  the  field,  and  one  shall  be  taken  and  the 
other  left;  two  women  shall  be  grinding  at  the  mill, 
one  shall  be  taken  and  the  other  left.  Two  groups  of 
virgins,  five  in  each,  shall  be  waiting,  one  group  shall 
be  taken  and  the  other  left."  Just  imagine  those  men 
out  in  the  field  ploughing,  and  all  at  once  darkness  hides 
the  horses  and  the  plough  handles,  and  then  that  white 
throne  comes,  and  then  that  trumpet  sounds,  and  then 
that  great  shout,  and  in  a  moment  an  angel  swoops  down 
and  grabs  one  of  the  men  ploughing  and  takes  him  home ; 
the  other  is  left. 

The  examination  questions  are  embodied  in  the  text  of  this 
chapter. 


XXI 

OUR  LORD'S  FINAL  ADVENT;  THE  RESUR- 
RECTION OF  THE  DEAD;  THE  GENERAL 
JUDGMENT 

Revelation  XX,  1-15 

WE  will  present  this  study  in  the  form  of  a  cate- 
chism : 
I.  Cite   two   distinct  promises  of   the   Sec- 
ond Advent. 

In  Matthew  xvi,  27,  our  Saviour  says :  "  The  Son 
of  man  shall  come  in  the  glory  of  his  Father  with  his 
angels,  and  then  shall  he  render  to  every  man  according 
to  his  deeds."  You  see  that  is  not  only  the  promise,  but 
it  expresses  the  purpose.  The  second  promise  is  in 
Acts  i,  II :  "  As  they  were  looking  steadfastly  into  heaven 
as  he  went  up,  behold  two  men  stood  by  them  in  white 
apparel,  who  also  said:  Ye  men  of  Galilee,  why  stand 
ye  looking  into  heaven?  This  Jesus  who  was  received 
up  from  you  into  heaven  shall  so  come  in  like  manner 
as  ye  beheld  him  going  into  heaven." 

2.  Cite  three  general  passages  on  the  resurrection. 

Daniel  xii,  2:  "  Many  of  them  that  slept  in  the  dust  of 
the  earth  shall  awake,  some  to  eternal  life,  and  some  to 
shame  and  everlasting  contempt."  Daniel  puts  the  resur- 
rection of  both  classes  together.  Next,  John  v,  28,  29, 
which  I  quote :  "  Marvel  not  at  this,  for  the  hour 
Cometh  in  which  all  that  are  in  the  tombs  shall  hear  his 

310 


xx]  OUR  LORD'S  FINAL  ADVENT  311 

voice,  and  shall  come  forth;  they  that  have  done  good 
unto  the  resurrection  of  life;  and  they  that  have  done 
evil,  unto  the  resurrection  of  judgment."  And  you  see 
John  puts  them  together.  The  third  passage  is  in  Acts 
xxiv,  15 :  "  Having  hope  toward  God,  which  these  also 
themselves  look  for,  that  there  shall  be  a  resurrection 
both  of  the  just  and  the  unjust."  The  third  passage 
also  puts  them  together. 

3.  Now  comes  an  exceedingly  important  question ; 
Cite  three  striking  passages  apart  from  our  present  les- 
son to  show  that  the  resurrection  and  the  judgment  of 
both  the  righteous  and  the  wicked  are  simultaneous,  and 
not  a  thousand  years  apart. 

I  read  from  Matthew  xii,  41,  42:  "  The  men  of  Nine- 
veh shall  stand  up  in  the  judgment  with  this  generation, 
and  shall  condemn  it :  for  they  repented  at  the  preaching 
of  Jonah ;  and  behold,  a  greater  than  Jonah  is  here.  The 
queen  of  the  south  shall  rise  up  in  the  judgment  with  this 
generation,  and  shall  condemn  it:  for  she  came  from 
the  ends  of  the  earth  to  hear  the  wisdom  of  Solomon; 
and  behold,  a  greater  than  Solomon  is  here."  The  men 
of  Nineveh  repented  and  were  saved.  It  is  distinctly 
declared  that  they  shall  rise  up,  there's  their  resurrection, 
at  the  judgment,  showing  that  the  resurrection  and  the 
judgment  come  together;  they  shall  rise  up  at  the  judg- 
ment with  this  generation,  the  wicked  people,  the  impeni- 
tent people,  whom  Christ  was  addressing,  are  to  stand, 
there's  their  resurrection  from  the  dead,  in  the  judgment 
with  those  ancient  people  of  Nineveh  and  the  queen  of 
the  south ;  there  you  have  the  two  classes,  the  penitent 
and  the  impenitent,  the  resurrection,  the  judgment,  the 
general  judgment.  The  next  scripture  I  cite  is  Matthew 
XXV,  31-46,  and  as  you  read  I  want  you  to  ask  yourselves 
these  questions :    *'  Are    these    crowds    together  ?      Are 


Sia  REVELATION  [xx 

their  resurrection  and  judgment  simultaneous,  or  is  there 
a  great  interval  of  time  between  them  ?  " 

I  quote :  "  But  when  the  Son  of  man  shall  come  in  his 
glory,  and  all  the  angels  with  him,  then  shall  he  sit  on 
the  throne  of  his  glory,  and  before  him  shall  be  gathered 
all  the  nations ;  and  he  shall  separate  them  one  from  an- 
other, as  the  shepherd  separated  the  sheep  from  the 
goats ;  and  he  shall  set  the  sheep  on  his  right  hand,  but 
the  goats  on  the  left.  Then  shall  the  King  say  unto 
them  on  his  right  hand,  Come,  ye  blessed  of  my  Father, 
inherit  the  kingdom  prepared  for  you  from  the  founda- 
tion of  the  world.  .  .  .  Then  shall  he  say  also  to  them 
on  the  left  hand,  Depart  from  me,  ye  cursed,  into  the 
eternal  fire  which  is  prepared  for  the  devil  and  his  angels. 
.  .  .  And  these  shall  go  away  into  eternal  punishment: 
but  the  righteous  into  eternal  life."  I  once  asked  a  pre- 
millennialist  what  he  did  with  that  passage,  and  he  said, 
"  That  is  simply  the  judgment  of  the  nations."  No,  sir! 
That  is  an  individual  judgment,  and  nations,  as  na- 
tions, are  not  sent  into  eternal  fire,  only  individuals 
are. 

The  other  general  passage,  which  is  more  conclusive 
than  these  others,  is  II  Thessalonians  i,  6-10:  "If  so 
be  that  it  is  a  righteous  thing  with  God  to  recompense 
affliction  to  them  that  afflict  you,  and  to  you  that  are 
afflicted  rest  with  us,  at  the  revelation  of  the  Lord  Jesus 
from  heaven  with  the  angels  of  his  power  in  flaming  fire, 
rendering  vengeance  to  them  that  know  not  God,  and  to 
them  that  obey  not  the  gospel  of  our  Lord  Jesus:  who 
shall  suffer  punishment,  even  eternal  destruction  from 
the  face  of  the  Lord,  and  from  the  glory  of  his  might." 
When  are  these  wicked  punished  with  everlasting  de- 
struction ?  The  next  verse  tells  us :  ''  When  he  shall 
come  to  be  glorified  in  his  saints,  and  to  be  marvelled  at 


xx]  OUR  LORD'S  FINAL  ADVENT  313 

in  all  them  that  believe  [because  our  testimony  among 
you  was  believed]  in  that  day." 

I  sat  on  the  train  once  with  a  pre-millennialist  and  read 
that  passage  to  him,  and  asked  him  if  he  would  hold  the 
book  and  answer  questions  according  to  the  testimony. 
He  said  he  would.  I  said :  "  According  to  that  passage, 
when  does  Jesus  recompense  affliction  to  those  who  have 
afflicted  His  people  ? "  He  had  to  read :  "  At  the  time 
he  recompenses  his  rest  to  those  who  were  afflicted."  I 
then  asked  him  when  the  wicked  would  be  punished  with 
everlasting  destruction ;  and  he  had  to  read :  "  When  he 
comes  to  be  glorified  in  his  saints."  Now,  these  are  lit- 
eral passages.  I  could  cite  a  great  many  more,  but  these 
are  absolutely  conclusive  that  the  resurrection  and  the 
judgment  of  both  the  good  and  the  bad  will  be  simul- 
taneous. 

4.  Cite  three  parables  from  our  Lord  to  the  same  ef- 
fect. 

The  first  is  the  parable  of  the  tares,  found  in  Matthew 
xiii,  24-30,  and  expounded  by  our  Lord  in  the  same  chap- 
ter, 36th  to  42d  verses.  Let  us  read  it  and  see :  "  The 
kingdom  of  heaven  is  likened  unto  a  man  that  sowed  good 
seed  in  his  field :  but  while  men  slept  his  enemy  came  and 
sowed  tares  also  among  the  wheat,  and  went  away.  But 
when  the  blade  sprung  up,  and  brought  forth  fruit,  then 
appeared  the  tares  also.  And  the  servants  of  the  house- 
holder came  and  said  unto  him :  Sir,  didst  thou  not  sow 
good  seed  in  thy  field?  Whence  then  hath  it  tares? 
And  he  said  unto  them,  An  enemy  hath  done  this.  And 
the  servants  say  unto  him :  Wilt  thou  then  that  we  go 
and  gather  them  up  ?  But  he  said  :  Nay,  lest  haply  while 
ye  gather  up  the  tares  ye  root  up  the  wheat  with  them. 
Let  both  grow  together  until  the  harvest :  and  in  the  time 
of  the  harvest  I  will  say  to  the  reapers,  gather  up  first 


814  REVELATION  [xx 

the  tares  and  bind  them  in  bundles  to  burn  them:  but 
gather  the  wheat  into  my  barn."  The  disciples  wanted 
that  expounded  to  them,  and  here  is  the  exposition : 
"  Explain  unto  us  the  parable  of  the  tares  of  the  field. 
He  answered  and  said  unto  them,  He  that  soweth  the 
good  seed  is  the  Son  of  man ;  the  field  is  the  world ;  the 
good  seed  are  the  children  of  the  kingdom,  but  the  tares 
are  the  children  of  the  wicked  one ;  the  enemy  that  sowed 
them  is  the  devil;  the  harvest  is  the  end  of  the  world; 
and  the  reapers  are  the  angels.  As  therefore  the  tares 
are  gathered  and  burned  in  the  fire,  so  shall  it  be  at  the 
end  of  the  world.  The  Son  of  man  shall  send  forth  his 
angels,  and  they  shall  gather  out  of  his  kingdom  all  things 
that  offend,  and  them  which  do  iniquity;  and  shall  cast 
them  into  a  furnace  of  fire;  there  shall  be  wailing  and 
gnashing  of  teeth.  Then  shall  the  righteous  shine  forth 
as  the  sun  in  the  kingdom  of  their  Father."  Now,  that 
expresses  the  fact  that  the  good  and  the  evil  people  are 
to  grow  up  together  in  this  world  until  the  end  of  the 
world,  and  then  when  the  end  of  the  world  comes,  the 
angels  will  separate  the  good  from  the  bad. 

The  second  is  the  parable  of  the  dragnet,  Matthew  xiii, 
47-50 :  "  Again  the  kingdom  of  heaven  is  like  unto  a  net 
that  was  cast  into  the  sea,  and  gathered  of  every  kind: 
which,  when  it  was  full,  they  drew  to  the  shore,  and 
sat  down  and  gathered  the  good  into  vessels,  but  cast 
the  bad  away.  So  it  shall  be  at  the  end  of  the  world: 
the  angels  shall  come  forth  and  sever  the  wicked  from 
among  the  just,  and  shall  cast  them  into  the  furnace  of 
fire :  there  shall  be  wailing  and  gnashing  of  teeth." 

The  third  parable  is  the  parable  of  the  talents,  Matthew 
xxv,  14-30:  "For  the  kingdom  of  heaven  is  like  unto  a 
man  travelling  in  a  far  country,  who  called  his  own  serv- 
ants and  delivered  unto  them  his  goods.     And  unto  one 


xx]  OUR  LORD'S  FINAL  ADVENT  315 

he  gave  five  talents,  to  another  two,  and  to  another  one ; 
to  every  man  according  to  his  several  ability,  and  straight- 
way took  his  journey.  .  .  .  After  a  long  time  the  lord 
of  these  servants  cometh,  and  reckoneth  with  them  .  .  . 
[and  then  he  goes  on  with  the  reckoning  until  he  gets 
to  the  one  with  only  one  talent]  .  .  .  His  lord  said 
unto  him,  Thou  wicked  and  slothful  servant,  thou  know- 
est  I  reap  where  I  sowed  not,  and  gather  where  I  have 
not  strewed :  thou  oughtst,  therefore,  have  put  my  money 
to  the  exchangers,  and  then  at  my  coming  I  would  have 
received  mine  own  with  usury.  Take,  therefore,  the 
talent  from  him,  and  give  it  unto  him  which  hath  ten 
talents.  For  unto  every  one  that  hath  shall  be  given, 
and  he  shall  have  abundance;  but  from  him  that  hath 
not  shall  be  taken  away,  even  that  which  he  hath.  And 
cast  ye  the  unprofitable  servant  into  the  outer  darkness : 
there  shall  be  weeping  and  gnashing  of  teeth." 

Now,  there  are  three  great  parables.  I  could  men- 
tion others,  but  these  three  are  sufficient  to  put  beside  the 
three  passages  which  show  the  simultaneousness  of  the 
resurrection  of  the  dead  and  the  separation  of  the  right- 
eous from  the  wicked,  and  the  final  judgment. 

5.  Cite  and  expound  two  great  passages  on  the  resur- 
rection of  the  righteous  dead,  and  the  glorification  of  the 
righteous  living. 

In  I  Corinthians  xv,  42-55,  is  described  the  meaning 
of  the  resurrection  of  the  righteous  dead :  "  It  was  sown 
in  weakness,  it  is  raised  in  strength ;  it  was  sown  in  dis- 
honour, it  is  raised  in  honour;  it  was  sown  a  mortal 
body  and  raised  an  immortal  body ;  it  was  sown  a  natural 
body  and  raised  a  spiritual  body."  Then  in  the  same 
connection  he  tells  of  the  change  that  takes  place  in  the 
righteous  who  are  living  at  the  time  when  Christ  comes : 
"  I  show  you  a  mystery :  we  shall  not  all  sleep."    That 


316  REVELATION  [xx 

is,  we  shall  not  all  die;  some  men  will  be  living  when 
Christ  comes,  and  then  in  a  moment,  in  the  twinkling  of 
an  eye,  they  shall  be  changed  without  ever  dying,  and 
glorification  takes  place.  That  is  the  meaning  of  all 
those  words  I  quoted  you  a  while  ago  about  honour, 
dishonour,  etc. 

Now,  the  second  passage  is  in  the  first  letter  to  the 
Thessalonians,  and  the  closing  paragraph  of  the  fourth 
chapter.  He  says :  "  Brethren,  I  would  not  have  you 
ignorant  concerning  them  who  are  asleep,  that  ye  sorrow 
now,  even  as  the  rest,  who  have  no  hope.  For  if  we 
believe  that  Jesus  died  and  rose  again,  even  so  them 
also  that  have  fallen  asleep  in  Jesus  will  God  bring  with 
him.  For  this  we  say  unto  you  by  the  word  of  the 
Lord,  that  we  that  are  alive,  that  are  left  unto  the  com- 
ing of  the  Lord,  shall  in  no  wise  precede  them  that  are 
fallen  asleep.  .  .  .  And  the  dead  in  Christ  shall  rise 
first,  then  we  that  are  alive,  that  are  left,  shall  together 
with  them  be  caught  up  into  the  clouds,  to  meet  the  Lord 
in  the  air;  and  so  shall  we  ever  be  with  the  Lord. 
Wherefore  comfort  one  another  with  these  words." 

6.  What  erroneous  views  were  held  concerning  the 
resurrection  of  the  body,  and  the  objections  thereto? 

First,  the  Sadducees,  who  were  materialists,  and  de- 
nied all  future  life,  whether  of  the  soul  or  of  the  body, 
and  of  course  denied  the  resurrection  of  the  body.  In 
the  twenty-second  chapter  of  Matthew,  twelfth  chapter 
of  Mark  and  twentieth  chapter  of  Luke,  we  have  an  ac- 
count of  the  Sadducees  coming  to  the  Lord  with  the 
question :  Where  a  man  married  and  died,  and  according 
to  the  Mosaic  law  his  brother  took  his  widow ;  and  he 
died,  and  the  second  brother  took  her,  and  so  on  until 
seven  brothers  had  her.  Now  who  will  be  the  husband 
of  this  woman  in  the  resurrection,  for  they  all  had  her? 


xx]  OUR  LORD'S  FINAL  ADVENT  317 

They  thought  they  had  sprung  an  insuperable  difficulty 
in  the  way  of  the  resurrection  of  the  dead.  He  replied  to 
them :  "  In  the  state  of  the  resurrection  of  the  dead 
there  is  no  marrying,  nor  giving  in  marriage,  but  all  are 
as  the  angels  of  heaven,"  that  is,  the  multiplying  and 
replenishing  of  the  earth  which  so  dominated  men  here 
on  the  earth,  does  not  apply  in  heaven. 

In  Corinth  some  church  members  denied  the  resur- 
rection of  tlie  body,  and  based  their  objections  on  scien- 
tific deductions.  In  I  Corinthians  xv,  12,  35,  he  says: 
"  How  say  some  among  you  that  there  is  no  resurrection 
of  the  dead,  and  you  ask:  With  what  bodies  shall  they 
rise?" — presenting  that  as  an  insuperable  difficulty,  and 
all  of  that  chapter  is  devoted  to  a  discussion  of  the  cer- 
tainty of  the  resurrection  of  the  body.  There  were  cer- 
tain heretics  at  Ephesus  who  held  that  regeneration  was 
the  resurrection,  and  hence  it  was  past  already.  Paul 
mentions  the  names  of  two  of  these  heretics  Hymeneus 
and  Philetus,  in  the  second  letter  to  Timothy,  second 
chapter,  17th  and  i8th  verses.  They  held  that  the 
resurrection  took  place  when  a  man  was  converted; 
that  it  was  past  already.  Paul  counts  them  heretics, 
and  says  that  their  teaching  is  exceedingly  hurtful  to 
many. 

Then  there  are  people  (though  I  do  not  find  this  in 
the  Bible,  but  in  history)  who  hold  that  the  resurrection 
is  simply  the  escape  of  the  soul  from  the  limitations  of 
the  body  at  death,  and  they  compare  it  with  the  emerg- 
ence of  the  butterfly  from  the  chrysalis  state,  never  hav- 
ing any  more  use  for  that  empty  shell,  and  living  in  an- 
other element,  or  air  instead  of  upon  the  ground.  A 
great  many  people  believe  that;  it  is  different  from  the 
Sadducees.  The  Sadducees  did  not  believe  in  any  future 
life,  nor  in  angels,  nor  in  spirits  of  any  kind,  as  you 


318  REVELATION  [xx 

learn  from  Acts  xxiii,  8;  they  were  utter  materialists; 
they  believed  that  this  life  is  all ;  that  when  a  man  dies, 
all  of  him  dies,  that  he  has  no  dual  life  now,  and  that 
there  is  no  such  thing  as  a  spiritual  existence,  good  or 
bad. 

7.  If  the  righteous  who  are  living  when  Christ  comes 
are  changed  without  death,  what  becomes  of  the  living 
wicked? 

My  answer  is  that  they  perish,  or  die,  in  the  great 
world-wide  fire  that  accompanies  the  coming  of  the 
Lord.  Malachi  gives  a  glowing  description  of  it  in  the 
fourth  chapter,  ist  to  3d  verses.  I  read  you  what  Mal- 
achi says  about  it :  "  For  behold,  the  day  cometh,  it 
burneth  like  a  furnace,  and  all  the  proud  and  all  that 
work  wickedness,  shall  be  stubble,  and  the  day  that 
cometh  shall  burn  them  up,  saith  Jehovah  of  hosts,  that 
it  shall  leave  them  neither  root  nor  branch.  But  unto 
you  that  fear  my  name  shall  the  sun  of  righteousness 
arise  with  healings  in  its  wings ;  and  ye  shall  go  forth 
and  gambol  as  calves  of  the  stall.  And  ye  shall  tread 
down  the  wicked;  for  they  shall  be  ashes  under  the 
soles  of  your  feet  in  the  day  that  I  make,  saith  Jehovah 
of  hosts." 

Now,  read  a  passage  from  Peter :  "  And  in  the  last 
days  men  will  say:  Where  is  the  promise  of  his  coming? 
for  since  the  fathers  fell  asleep  all  things  continue  as 
they  were  from  the  beginning  of  creation.  For  this  they 
wilfully  forget,  that  there  were  heavens  from  of  old,  and 
an  earth  compacted  out  of  water  and  amidst  water,  by 
the  word  of  God,  by  which  means  the  world  that  then 
was,  being  overflowed  with  water,  perished;  but  the 
heavens  that  now  are,  and  the  earth,  by  the  same  word, 
have  been  stored  up  for  fire,  being  reserved  against  the 
day  of  judgment  and  destruction  of  ungodly  men.  .    .    . 


xx]  OUR  LORD'S  FINAL  ADVENT  319 

But  the  day  of  the  Lord  will  come  as  a  thief,  in  the  which 
the  heavens  will  pass  away  with  a  great  noise,  and  the 
elements  shall  be  dissolved  with  a  fervent  heat,  and  the 
earth  and  the  works  therein  shall  be  burned  up.  Seeing 
that  these  things  are  all  thus  to  be  dissolved,  what  man- 
ner of  persons  ought  ye  to  be  in  all  holy  living  and  god- 
liness, looking  for  and  earnestly  desiring  the  coming  of 
the  day  of  God,  by  reason  of  which  the  heavens  being 
on  fire  shall  be  dissolved,  and  the  elements  shall  melt 
with  a  fervent  heat  ?  " 

No  wicked  man  can  escape  physical  death ;  there  never 
has  been  one  that  escaped.  Elijah  and  Enoch  did ;  they 
were  good  men.  And  all  the  saints  living  at  the  coming 
of  Christ  will,  but  the  wicked  living  when  Christ  comes 
will  burn  up  in  the  fire,  just  as  now  when  one  living  in  a 
house  which  catches  on  fire  is  burned  up  before 
he  can  escape.  That  world  fire  will  be  as  quick  as  a 
lightning  flash;  there  is  no  element  of  time  in  it;  in  one 
moment  the  atmosphere  shall  become  an  ocean  of  fire, 
and  the  ocean  itself,  by  one  elemental  change,  shall  be- 
come an  ocean  of  fire,  and  the  fire  will  sweep  from  moun- 
tain to  mountain,  and  from  continent  to  continent,  until 
the  whole  world  is  afire.  And  in  that  fire  every  living 
wicked  person  dies,  and  it  happens  in  a  moment,  and 
their  resurrection  iinmediately  follows.  They  are  so 
close  together  that  one  may  call  them  simultaneous. 

8.  What  the  ground  of  their  resurrection?  Why 
should  the  wicked  be  raised  at  all? 

The  normal  man,  as  God  created  him,  was  a  dual  be- 
ing— soul  and  body.  The  death  of  the  body,  or  rather 
the  separation  of  the  soul  from  the  body,  is  the  result  of 
sin.  The  soul  in  a  disembodied  state  is  unclothed,  and 
hence  Hades,  as  a  state,  gains  a  victory  so  long  as  it 
holds  a  disembodied  spirit.     But  when  God  raises  the 


REVELATION  [xx 

bodies  of  the  dead,  good  and  bad,  then  shall  be  brought 
to  pass  the  saying :  O  death,  where  is  thy  sting ;  O  Hades, 
where  is  thy  victory?  You  had  a  victory  so  long  as 
you  could  hold  one  soul  in  a  disembodied  state.  Hence 
this  book,  as  we  learn  in  chapter  vi,  verse  8,  says  that 
Hades  followed  after  death.  Death  came,  and  the  soul 
went  into  a  disembodied  state.  Moreover,  the  only 
deeds  of  which  the  final  judgment  takes  cognizance 
a\e  the  deeds  done  in  the  body.  A  man  who  died  when 
Christ  died,  in  eternity  ever  since,  will  never  be  judged 
for  anything  that  he  does  in  eternity;  the  judgment  takes 
cognizance  of  only  the  deeds  done  in  the  body.  There- 
fore, the  whole  man,  soul  and  body,  must  be  present  at 
the  judgment,  and  if  condemned  must  be  punished  in 
both  body  and  soul. 

It  is  not  enough  that  the  rich  man,  at  his  death,  should 
be  tormented  as  to  his  soul.  "  He  lifted  up  his  eyes  in 
hell  [or  Hades],  being  in  torment."  That  is  not  enough. 
But,  as  our  Lord  says,  "  Be  ye  not  afraid  of  them  which 
kill  the  body  but  cannot  kill  the  soul,  but  rather  fear 
him  who  is  able  to  destroy  both  soul  and  body  in  hell 
[Gehenna]." 

9.  In  what  capacity  or  office  did  our  Lord  appear  in 
His  first  advent,  and  contrast  it  with  His  office  in  His 
second  advent? 

Paul  says  in  the  letter  to  the  Hebrews :  "  Inasmuch  as 
it  was  appointed  unto  men  once  to  die,  and  after  death 
then  Cometh  judgment,  so  Christ  also,  having  been  once 
offered  to  bear  the  sins  of  many,  shall  appear  a  second 
time,  apart  from  a  sin-offering,  to  them  that  await  for 
him  unto  salvation"  (Hebrews  ix,  27,  28).  Which 
means  that  His  second  advent  is  not  to  offer  a  sac- 
rifice,— that  is  all  ended, — but  as  judge,  to  bring  His 
people  into  the  fruition  of  salvation,  and  the  salvation 


xx]  OUR  LORD'S  FINAL  ADVENT  321 

of  fruition,  which,  as  Peter  says,  is  ready  to  be  revealed 
at  the  last  time  (I  Peter  i,  4,  5). 

Now  we  will  take  up  the  study  word  by  word : 

10.  Twentieth  chapter,  nth  verse:  "  And  I  saw  a  great 
white  throne." 

What  the  distinction  between  this  throne  and  the  one 
in  Revelation  iv,  2-7? 

That  was  the  throne  of  grace,  the  mediatorial  throne, 
Christ  reigning  as  king  and  interceding  as  priest.  This 
is  the  white  throne  of  final  judgment.  That  throne  at 
iv,  2,  might  be  approached  by  prayer,  as  we  learned  in 
Hebrews  iv,  16:  "  Let  us  therefore  draw  near  with  bold- 
ness unto  the  throne  of  grace,  that  we  may  receive  mercy, 
and  find  grace  to  help  us  in  time  of  need."  And  as  we 
learned  in  the  eighth  chapter  of  this  book:  the  prayers 
of  the  saints,  mingled  with  incense,  came  up  to  that 
throne.  But  no  prayers  are  offered  at  this  white  throne ; 
praying  days  are  over  forever.  This  our  Lord  Himself 
describes  in  His  great  prophecy,  which  I  quote  (Matthew 
xxiv,  29-31) :  "  The  sun  shall  be  darkened,  and  the  moon 
shall  not  give  her  light,  and  the  stars  shall  fall  from 
heavens,  and  the  powers  of  the  heavens  shall  be  shaken, 
and  then  shall  appear  the  sign  of  the  Son  of  man  in 
heaven,  and  then  shall  all  the  tribes  of  the  earth  mourn, 
and  they  shall  see  the  Son  of  man  coming  on  the  clouds 
of  heaven  with  power  and  great  glory,"  and  as  our  Lord 
said  at  the  conclusion  of  that  prophecy  (Matthew  xxv, 
31)  :  "  But  when  the  Son  of  man  shall  come  in  his  glory, 
and  all  the  angels  with  him,  then  shall  he  sit  on  the 
throne  of  his  glory."  Or,  as  this  book  expresses  it, 
when  He  came  to  the  sixth  seal,  you  remember  (Revela- 
tion vi,  12),  "  and  I  saw  when  he  opened  the  sixth  seal, 
and  there  was  a  great  earthquake,  and  the  sun  became 
black  as  sackcloth  of  hair,  and  the  whole  moon  became 


322  REVELATION  [xx 

as  blood,  and  the  stars  of  heaven  fell  unto  the  earth  as 
a  fig  tree  casteth  her  unripe  figs,  and  the  heaven  was 
removed  as  a  scroll  when  rolled  up,  and  every  mountain 
and  island  moved  out  of  their  place,  and  the  kings  of  the 
earth,  and  the  princes,  and  the  chief  captains,  and  the 
rich  and  strong,  and  every  bondman  and  freeman,  hid 
themselves  in  the  caves  and  the  rocks  of  the  mountains ; 
and  they  say  to  the  mountains  and  to  the  rocks:  Fall  on 
us  and  hide  us  from  the  face  of  him  that  sitteth  on  the 
throne,  and  from  the  wrath  of  the  Lamb;  for  the  great 
day  of  their  wrath  is  come,  and  who  is  able  to  stand  ?  " 

11.  Who  the  judge,  and  what  his  suitableness? 

In  John  V,  22-27,  ^t  is  said :  "  The  Father  hath  given  all 

judgment  unto  the  Son "  and  He  goes  on  to  say  that 

He  is  given  this  judgment  because  He  is  also  the  Son 
of  man.  He  is  suitable,  for  He  is  God,  and  knows  all 
the  holiness  of  God's  law ;  He  is  suitable  because  He  is 
man,  and  as  man  was  tempted  as  we  are,  and  with  an 
infinite  knowledge  of  our  infirmities,  and  our  failings, 
and  our  environment.  Even  for  the  devil,  He  is  the  best 
judge. 

12.  We  read  on  in  Revelation:  "And  I  saw  a  great 
white  throne  and  him  that  sat  on  it,  from  whose  face 
the  earth  and  the  heaven  fled  away,  and  there  was  found 
no  place  for  them."  What  does  it  mean  by  the  disap- 
pearance of  the  heaven  and  the  earth? 

Annihilation  is  not  meant;  the  flood  that  swept  the 
earth  did  not  annihilate  it;  neither  does  this  fire,  but  it 
purges  it.  Peter  describes  it.  I  read  it  to  you  a  while  ago 
(II  Peter  iii,  7,  10,  11,  12).  That  fire  will  come,  and 
in  that  fire  heaven  and  earth  scenes  will  disappear,  but 
he  says  that  we  will  have  a  new  heaven  and  a  new  earth. 

13.  We  read  again  in  the  study :  "  And  I  saw  the 
dead,  the  great  and  the  small,  standing  before  the  throne. 


xx]  OUR  LORD'S  FINAL  ADVENT  323 

.  .  .  And  the  sea  gave  up  the  dead  that  were  in  it,  and 
death  and  Hades  gave  up  the  dead  that  were  in  them." 
What  is  meant  by  the  sea  and  death  giving  up  the  dead 
in  them? 

It  means  the  resurrection  of  the  bodies  of  all  the  dead, 
whether  buried  on  land  or  in  the  sea,  just  as  our  Lord 
said :  "  The  hour  cometh  when  all  that  are  in  the  tomb 
shall  hear  his  voice  and  shall  come  forth,"  or  as  Daniel 
put  it:  "  They  that  sleep  in  the  dust  of  the  earth,  some  to 
eternal  life  and  some  to  shame  and  everlasting  contempt." 

14.  What  is  meant  by  Hades  giving  up  the  dead  that 
are  in  it? 

It  means  the  coming  forth  of  all  the  disembodied  souls, 
reunited  to  their  raised  bodies.  Hades  means  the  spirit 
world.  David,  inspired  by  the  Holy  Spirit,  said: 
"  Moreover,  my  flesh  shall  rest  in  hope,  for  thou  wilt  not 
leave  my  soul  in  Hades."  The  flesh  is  raised  when  the 
time  is  come  for  Hades  to  give  up  its  dead,  and  the  soul 
and  body  shall  be  reunited. 

15.  While  Hades,  as  a  state  of  being  disembodied,  ap- 
plies equally  to  all  souls,  is  there  not  some  distinction 
of  place  and  condition?  Yes,  the  souls  of  both  the  rich 
man  and  Lazarus  went  into  Hades,  but  between  the 
places  in  Hades  where  they  were  is  a  great  gulf  fixed, 
so  that  one  may  not  cross  to  the  other.  Lazarus,  starved 
on  earth,  is  feasting  at  the  banquet  of  God  with  Abraham, 
while  the  rich  man,  faring  sumptuously  on  earth,  is  starv- 
ing and  parching  with  the  thirst  in  the  flames.  The 
Greeks  held  that  in  Hades  there  were  two  widely  sepa- 
rate compartments,  one  of  joy  and  one  of  woe,  the  first 
called  "  Paradise,"  and  the  second  called  "  Tartarus," 
and  New  Testament  writers  accept  this  distinction. 
Jesus  said  to  the  dying  robber  on  the  cross :  "  To-day 
thou  shalt  be  with  me  in  Paradise."     The  man  left  his 


324  REVELATION  [xx 

body  behind,  but  his  soul  went  with  the  soul  of  Jesus 
into  Paradise.  Paul  says:  "I  was  caught  up  into  the 
third  heaven,  into  the  Paradise  of  God."  Peter  says : 
"  God  spared  not  the  angels  when  they  sinned,  but  cast 
them  down  to  Tartarus,  and  committed  them  to  a  pit 
of  darkness  to  be  reserved  unto  the  judgment"  (II 
Peter  ii,  4).  In  some  respects  the  Greek  word  "  hades  " 
is  like  the  Hebrew  word  "  sheol,"  the  underworld  or 
abode  of  disembodied  spirits.  The  souls  of  both  good 
and  bad  went  into  Sheol,  but  not  the  same  place  or  con- 
dition of  Sheol.  Isaiah,  in  his  own  sublime  imagery, 
compares  the  king  of  Babylon  to  Lucifer,  cast  down  to 
Sheol,  the  torment  part  of  the  pit,  and  represents  all 
Sheol,  from  underneath,  as  moved  to  meet  him  at  his 
coming;  it  stirs  up  its  dead  for  him.  The  soul  of  the 
king  of  Babylon  is  entering  Sheol,  the  part  where  the 
wicked  are,  and  here  is  what  they  say  to  him :  "  Art  thou 
also  become  weak  as  we?  Art  thou  become  like  us? 
...  Is  this  the  man  that  made  the  earth  tremble,  that 
did  shake  kingdoms;  that  made  the  world  a  wilderness, 
and  overthrew  the  cities  thereof ;  that  let  not  loose  his 
prisoners  to  their  homes?"  (Isaiah  xiv,  9-17).  This  is 
a  sublime  conception  of  the  greeting  to  the  lost  soul  on 
entering  Tartarus.  Just  imagine  that  rich  man  in  hell, 
who  said :  "  Tell  Lazarus  to  go  and  tell  my  brothers  who 
live  in  yonder  world  not  to  come  here  where  I  am,"  but 
when  he  sees  his  brothers  coming  he  will  say :  "  Are  you 
become  as  weak  as  I  am  ?  " 

The  Paradise  part  of  Hades  is  just  the  same  as  heaven 
itself,  as  appears  from  Hebrews  xii,  22-24,  where  "  the 
spirits  of  the  just  made  perfect  are  with  the  Father,  with 
Jesus  the  Mediator  of  the  new  covenant,  with  the  angels 
on  the  heavenly  Mount  Zion,  in  the  heavenly  Jerusalem." 
And  it  also  appears  from  what  Paul  says  to  the  Corin- 


xx]  OUR  LORD'S  FINAL  ADVENT  325 

thians  (II  Corinthians  v,  i,  2,  and  xii,  2,  3)  :  "For  we 
know  that  if  the  earthly  house  of  our  tabernacle  be  dis- 
solved [this  body],  we  have  a  building  from  God,  a 
house  not  made  with  hands,  eternal,  in  the  heavens,"  and 
goes  on  to  say  that  as  long  as  I  am  in  this  body  I  am 
absent  from  the  Lord,  and  when  I  am  out  of  this  body 
I  am  present  with  the  Lord, 

In  I  Thessalonians  iv,  14,  it  is  said :  "  For  if  we  believe 
that  Jesus  died  and  rose  again,  even  so  them  also  that 
are  fallen  asleep  in  Jesus  will  God  bring  with  him." 
Now,  in  the  same  way,  Tartarus  is  equal  to  what  we  call 
hell,  the  place  of  eternal  fire  and  torment,  the  only  dif- 
ference being  the  absence  of  the  body  until  the  resurrec- 
tion. Tartarus  is  hell  now,  just  the  same  hell  it  will  be 
when  a  lake  of  fire,  but  the  body  is  not  in  it  yet.  When 
the  saint's  body  is  raised,  the  whole  man,  soul  and  body, 
goes  back  to  Paradise,  where  his  soul  has  been  since 
death  (see  Revelation  xxii,  i,  2,  14)  ;  they  re-enter  the 
Paradise  of  God.  When  the  wicked  man's  body  is 
raised,  the  whole  man,  soul  and  body,  goes  back  into  the 
same  Tartarus  where  his  soul  had  been.  It  is  now  called 
Gehenna,  or  in  this  lesson  it  is  called  a  lake  of  fire. 

16.  If  Paradise  be  heaven,  and  Tartarus  be  hell,  except 
for  the  absence  of  the  body,  why  are  the  righteous,  in 
their  souls,  already  enjoying  heaven,  to  which  they  went 
at  death,  and  why  are  the  wicked,  already  tormented  in 
the  flames  of  hell,  to  which  their  souls  went  at  death, 
why  are  they  brought  from  those  conditions  to  be  judged  ; 
seeing  that  they  are  already  enjoying  or  suffering  the 
final  verdict  or  sentence? 

The  answer  lies  (i)  in  the  fact  that  the  day  of  judg- 
ment is  not  so  much  a  day  of  actual  trial,  but  as  Paul 
describes  it,  it  is  a  day  of  the  revelation  of  the  righteous 
judgments  of   God,  judgments  already   rendered.     The 


326  REVELATION  [xx 

unbeliever  is  already  condemned,  says  John ;  he  does  not 
wait  to  come  to  the  judgment  to  be  condemned;  he  is 
already  condemned  for  not  believing  on  Jesus  Christ. 
The  book  of  life,  which  determines  the  case  of  both 
classes,  is  not  a  docket  for  trial  that  day,  but  it  is  a  regis- 
ter of  judicial  decisions  already  rendered.  The  object  of 
the  general  judgment  is  to  make  all  who  have  been  pre- 
viously condemned  or  acquitted,  see,  understand  and  ap- 
prove the  past  verdict  which  acquits  or  condemns.  The 
acquitted  up  to  that  day  never  fully  understood  the 
grounds  of  their  acquittal  (see  Matthew  xxv,  37-40)  : 
"  Lord,  when  did  we  see  thee  naked  and  clothed  thee, 
or  sick  and  visited  thee,  or  a  stranger  and  entertained 
thee  ?  "  They  do  not  understand,  and  the  same  chapter 
shows  that  the  wicked  do  not  understand.  The  rich  man 
in  hell  did  not  understand,  but  when  the  revelation  of 
the  judgment  which  put  him  there  comes  in  white  light 
and  illumines,  he  will  then  understand  and  confess  the 
righteousness  of  the  judgment  of  God  that  sent  him  to 
that  place  of  torment.  Now,  when  the  records  of  past 
judgments  are  opened,  both  classes  comprehend  and  rec- 
ognize the  righteousness  of  the  past  judgment  which  sent 
the  soul  of  one  to  heaven  and  the  soul  of  the  other  to  hell. 
They  now  approve  and  acquiesce  in  God's  judgment, 
though  it  had  gone  against  them.  "  Therefore,"  says 
Paul,  "  before  Jesus,  the  Judge,  every  knee  shall  bow, 
and  every  tongue  shall  confess  his  name," — the  lost  as 
well  as  the  saved. 

Not  only  does  each  man  at  the  judgment  see  the  justice 
of  the  verdict  in  his  own  case,  but  also  in  the  cases  of 
the  others.  He  will  be  as  much  surprised  and  enlight- 
ened on  this  point  as  any  other:  some  will  be  first  that 
he  counted  last,  and  some  will  be  last  that  he  counted 
first. 


xx]  OUR  LORD'S  FINAL  ADVENT  327 

17,  Is  it  largely  on  this  account  that  all  angels,  good 
and  bad,  and  the  human  race,  are  all  brought  together 
in  one  great  assembly? 

Yes;  the  contrast  of  the  cases  constitutes  much  of  the 
light.  The  penitent  men  of  Nineveh,  saved  by  hearing 
only  one  sermon,  and  the  vision-seeking  queen  of  Sheba, 
at  the  judgment  will  throw  their  brilliant  cross  light  on 
the  wicked  generation  of  Christ's  day,  who  had  much 
more  light  and  did  not  act  on  it.  "  Sodom  and  Gomor- 
rah," says  our  Lord,  "  Tyre  and  Sidon,  shall  suffer  a 
more  tolerable  judgment  than  the  cities  of  Chorazin 
and  Bethsaida,"  and  this  cross  light  will  furnish  abun- 
dant lessons. 

18.  Why  could  not  this  light  have  been  given  sooner 
to  the  sinner? 

The  revelation  is  put  off  until  the  last  day  because  the 
influence  of  human  thought,  desire  and  deeds  does  not 
cease  until  they  strike  the  shores  of  eternity.  The  influ- 
ence of  Tom  Paine's  "  Age  of  Reason  "  and  Ingersoll's 
speeches  will  go  on  until  the  final  harvest,  and  it  will  not 
be  known  how  much  evil  each  one  has  done  until  we 
come  to  the  end  of  the  influence.  And  so  Abel,  though 
dead,  yet  speaketh.  All  our  lives  will  throw  light  or 
shadows  on  the  pathway  of  others  until  the  end  of  the 
world.  John  Bunyan's  Pilgrim  will  go  marching  on  till 
Jesus  comes ;  Keith's  great  hymn,  "  How  Firm  a  Foun- 
dation," and  Cowper's  sweet  hymn,  "  There  is  a  Foun- 
tain Filled  with  Blood,"  have  not  yet  reached  their  final 
harvest. 

Edgar  Allan  Poe  brings  out  the  thought  in  his  flight 
with  an  angel,  who  shows  him  a  volcanic  island,  barren 
and  desolate,  and  said :  "  That  is  an  idle,  evil  word, 
spoken  once  and  then  forgot ;  but  it  went  on  sounding 
until  the  end  of  time,  and  God  crystallized  it  into  the  vol- 


328  REVELATION  [xx 

canic  island."  Again  the  angel  showed  him  another  island 
of  springs  and  fountains,  green  with  the  verdure  of  grass 
and  the  foliage  of  fruit-bearing  trees,  in  whose  boughs  a 
choir  of  singing  birds  were  praising  God.  "  This,"  said 
the  angel,  "  is  a  good  word  you  spoke  once,  and  forgot, 
but  it  went  on  in  power  until  it  struck  the  shores  of  eter- 
nity, and  God  crystallized  it  into  this  blessed  island." 

19.  What  are  the  books  out  of  which  men  are  judged? 

We  may  not  name  them  all,  but  these  are  some  of 
them: 

( 1 )  The  book  of  remembrance ;  you  will  find  the 
account  of  it  in  Malachi  iii,  16-18.  In  a  time  of  great 
spiritual  tribulations  some  of  the  good  people  will  get 
together  and  deplore  the  absence  of  a  revival,  and  God 
will  command  the  Recording  Angel  to  put  down  in  the 
book  of  remembrance  what  they  said. 

(2)  The  book  of  curses  (Zechariah  v,  i,  2):  "Then 
again  I  lifted  up  mine  eyes  and  saw,  and  behold  a  flying 
roll,  and  he  said  unto  me,  What  seeth  thou?  and  I  an- 
swered: I  see  a  flying  roll,  the  length  thereof  is  twenty 
cubits,  and  the  breadth  thereof  ten  cubits.  Then  said  he 
unto  me :  This  is  the  curse  that  goeth  forth  over  the 
whole  land,  for  every  one  that  stealeth  shall  be  cut  off 
on  the  one  side  according  to  it  and  every  one  that  swear- 
eth  shall  be  cut  off  on  the  other  side  according  to  it.  I 
will  cause  it  to  go  forth,  saith  Jehovah  of  hosts,  and 
it  shall  enter  into  the  house  of  the  thief,  and  into  the 
house  of  him  that  sweareth  falsely  by  name,  and  it  shall 
abide  in  the  midst  of  his  house,  and  shall  consume  the 
timber  thereof  and  the  stones  thereof." 

(3)  Then  there  is  a  book  of  tears  (Psalms  Ivi,  8)  : 
"  Put  thou  my  tears  into  thy  bottle ;  are  they  not  in  thy 
book  ?  "  I  tell  you  that  will  be  a  marvellous  book  at  the 
judgment;   when  on  the   judgment   throne   a   book   is 


xx]  OUR  LORD'S  FINAL  ADVENT  329 

opened,  with  nothing  but  splotches  on  it  where  tears  fell : 
Who  made  the  widow  weep?  who  made  the  orphan  cry? 
who  brought  sorrow  into  the  house  of  the  sick?  I  tell 
you  that  God  keeps  every  tear  that  falls  from  a  sufferer's 
eye,  and  at  the  judgment  that  book  will  be  opened. 
There  will  be  the  tears  that  Jesus  wept  over  Jerusalem. 
It  will  be  an  awful  book. 

(4)  Then  there  is  the  book  of  the  covenant.  You 
remember  when  the  covenant  was  made  with  Moses,  the 
book  was  put  in  the  ark,  to  be  held  as  an  everlasting 
witness.  At  the  day  of  judgment  the  Lord  will  say :  "  I 
need  not  judge  you;  Moses  will  judge  you.  Just  bring 
out  that  covenant  and  read  it  to  him.  Did  you  abide 
by  it?" 

(5)  Finally,  there  is  the  book  of  life:  "  Another  book 
was  opened,  which  is  the  book  of  life." 

20.  What  is  this  book  of  life? 

It  is  a  register  of  judicial  decisions.  Whenever  a  man 
is  converted,  justified,  or  acquitted,  his  name  is  written 
in  that  book.  It  holds  the  record  of  all  the  saved  from 
the  beginning  to  the  end  of  time. 

21.  Which  is  the  decisive  book? 

That  book  of  life,  because  this  lesson  shows  that  who- 
soever is  not  found  written  in  that  book  shall  be  cast 
into  the  lake  of  fire.  You  remember  that  Baptist  song: 
"  When  my  righteous  judge  shall  come  to  take  Thy  ran- 
somed people  home,  shall  I  among  them  stand ;  shall  I, 
who  sometimes  am  afraid  to  die,  be  found  at  Thy  right 
hand?  O,  can  I  bear  the  piercing  thought:  what  if  my 
name  should  be  left  out?"  Whosoever  is  not  found 
written  in  that  book — well,  that  is  all  you  need. 

I  will  suppose  there  is  a  man — Mr.  A ,  say — in 

Fort  Worth,  County  of  Tarrant,  State  of  Texas,  United 
States  of  America,   living  in  such  a  period;  open  the 


REVELATION  [xx 

book  of  life  to  that  name.  Do  you  see  his  name  there? 
No.  That  is  sufficient;  pass  him  into  the  lake  of  fire. 
Do  you  see  his  name  on  the  book  of  remembrance  ?  No. 
Do  you  see  his  name  in  the  book  of  curses?    Yes. 

22.  What  is  the  great  principle  of  this  judgment? 

Each  man  is  judged  according  to  his  light,  privileges, 
opportunities   and   environment. 

2},.  What  is  the  only  thing  of  which  this  judgment 
takes  cognizance? 

One's  attitude  toward  Christ  in  His  gospel,  His  cause 
and  His  people.  The  bad  angels  will  have  to  say :  We 
opposed ;  the  good  angels  will  say :  We  ministered  unto 
the  heirs  of  salvation.  The  wicked  will  say:  Salvation 
came  right  to  my  door,  the  stream  of  life  lapped  against 
my  doorsill,  and  I  said  no,  no. 

24.  Apply  this  to  good  angels,  and  show  what  advan- 
tage it  is  to  them. 

They  did  not  sin  before,  and  now  they  have  stood  for 
Christ's  cause  and  His  people,  and  they  will  become 
confirmed,  for  after  the  judgment  no  angel  can  ever  fall. 

25.  What  proof  have  we  that  on  that  day  the  acquitted 
participate  with  Christ  in  judging  the  world  and  the 
angels? 

"  Ye  who  have  followed  me,  in  the  regeneration  when 
the  Son  of  man  shall  sit  on  the  throne  of  his  glory,  ye 
also  shall  sit  upon  twelve  thrones,  judging  the  twelve 
tribes  of  Israel"  (Matthew  xiv,  28).  "Know  ye  not 
that  the  saints  shall  judge  the  world?  and  if  the  world 
is  judged  by  you,  are  ye  unworthy  to  judge  the  smallest 
matters?  Know  ye  not  that  the  saints  shall  judge  the 
angels?"  It  will  be  fine  poetic  justice  when  Job  and 
Peter  pass  judgment  on  the  devil,  who  tried  them  so 
much ;  it  will  be  a  great  sight  to  see  Agrippa,  Festus  and 
Nero  judged  by  Paul;  they  judged  him  on  earth;  he 


XX]  OUR  LORD'S  FINAL  ADVENT  331 

will  judge  them  in  eternity.  It  will  be  a  fine  thing  to 
see  those  who  are  despised  in  this  world,  sit  with  Christ 
on  His  throne,  passing  judgment  upon  demons  and  the 
wicked  lost. 

26.  On  what  score  are  the  saints  judged  that  day, 
and  the  proof,  and  the  reasons? 

The  saints  are  not  put  on  trial  for  their  lives  that 
day;  all  that  was  ended  when  they  were  justified:  they 
will  not  have  to  come  into  the  judgment  on  that  score; 
they  have  passed  out  of  death  into  eternal  life,  and  none 
can  bring  a  charge  against  God's  elect,  but  they  are  judged 
on  their  fidelity,  on  their  lives  as  Christians,  and  shall 
receive  the  last  reward.  The  salvation  of  all  the  saved  is 
the  same,  but  the  rewards  of  the  saints  are  different. 
They  all  get  into  salvation  alike,  through  one  door, 
Christ;  but  their  rank  and  position  in  heaven  is  deter- 
mined by  their  Christian  fidelity. 

27.  Are  there  also  degrees  in  hell? 

Jesus  said :  "  It  shall  be  more  tolerable  in  the  day  of 
judgment  for  Tyre  and  Sidon  than  the  cities  of  Chora- 
zin  and  Bethsaida." 

28.  What  do  you  understand  by  the  lake  of  fire? 
First,  it  is  a  place;  all  finite  things  must  be  posited. 

Second,  it  is  a  prepared  place,  originally  prepared  for 
the  devil  and  his  demons,  but  there  is  room  enough  in 
it  for  those  who  follow  the  devil.  It  is  a  prison;  Peter 
says :  "  The  spirits  in  prison  " ;  Jude  says :  "  The  demons 
cast  down  in  chains  and  bondage."  It  is  a  place  of  tor- 
ment, weeping,  wailing,  and  gnashing  of  teeth.  It  is  a 
place  of  companionship  without  friendship :  you  will 
have  the  company  of  liars,  thieves,  murderers,  idolaters ; 
you  will  have  the  company  of  the  devil  and  his  demons, 
but  it  will  not  be  a  happy  crowd.  It  is  a  place  of  con- 
science, memory  and  despair;  the  mind  does  not  quit 


332  REVELATION  [xx 

thinking,  the  conscience  does  not  quit  aching,  but  hope 
never  comes.  It  is  eternal :  "  These  shall  go  away  into 
everlasting  fire  " — that  is  the  same  word  used  when  it 
says  everlasting  life — thus  when  you  shorten  hell  you 
shorten  heaven;  the  same  word  applies  to  both.  Pol- 
lok,  in  the  "  Course  of  Time,"  vainly  tried  to  describe 
hell.  He  says :  "  Wide  was  the  place,  and  deep  as  wide, 
and  ruinous  as  deep,  while  overhead  and  all  around 
winds  war  with  winds,  and  thunders  roll,  and  lightnings, 
forked  lightnings,  flash."  God  pity  the  man  who  dares 
come  into  the  pulpit  and  preach  against  His  eternal 
judgment. 

The  examination  questions  are  embodied  in  the  text  of  this 
chapter,  it  being  presented  in  the  form  of  a  catechism. 


XXII 

THE  FUTURE  ETERNAL  STATE  OF  THE 
RIGHTEOUS  AND  WICKED 

Revelation  XXI,  i—XXII,  5 

1WANT  to  say,  as  impressively  as  I  know  how  to 
say  it,  that  the  reason  Christian  people  are  no  hap- 
pier than  they  are,  the  reason  they  have  so  little 
power,  is  that  they  have  such  a  misty  conception  of 
heaven,  of  the  world  to  come.  And  whatever  is  misty, 
is  painful.  It  is  only  those  who,  with  a  clear  under- 
standing of  God's  word  as  to  the  outcome  of  human  life, 
those  who  by  faith  see  eternal  things,  and  feel  the  powers 
of  the  world  to  come,  who  can  make  any  lasting  impres- 
sion for  good  in  this  world.  I  do  not  care  how  much 
learning  a  preacher  may  have,  if  he  has  not  a  clear  con- 
ception of  heaven  and  its  eternity,  of  hell  and  its  eternity, 
he  cannot  be  a  man  of  spiritual  power.  I  wish  I  could 
make  everybody  feel  on  this  subject  as  I  feel,  and  not 
occasionally  only,  but  all  the  time.  So  far  as  I  am  con- 
cerned, the  question  of  the  death  of  the  body  does  not 
concern  me  in  the  least,  and  it  has  not  for  a  great  many 
years.  All  the  time  before  me  is  the  glorious  light  and 
the  blessed  state  of  the  world  to  come.  I  have  never 
gotten  away  from  the  influence  of  my  first  apprehension 
of  it. 

With  reference  to  the  world  to  come,  you  understand 
that  heaven  is  a  place,  "  I  go  to  prepare  a  place  for  you," 

333 


334  REVELATION  [xxi-xxn 

and  hell  is  a  place.  All  finite  beings  must  be  posited; 
they  must  have  locality.  Only  the  Infinite  One  can  be 
everywhere,  but  all  finite  beings  must  always  be  some- 
where. I  want  you  to  get  clearly  in  your  mind  the  idea 
of  a  place,  then  of  the  condition  of  that  place,  then  of 
the  companionship  of  that  place,  then  of  the  eternity  of 
that  condition,  place  and  companionship. 

I.  What  is  meant  by  a  new  heaven  and  a  new  earth? 

Before  answering  this  question  we  must  determine  the 
meaning  of  certain  words  and  statements.  First,  the 
word  "  new."  There  are  two  Greek  words  that  may 
be  rendered  into  the  English  "  new  "  :  one,  "  neos,"  which 
simply  means  new  in  appearance ;  the  other  is  "  kainos," 
and  that  means  new  in  kind.  It  is  "  kainos,"  or  new 
in  kind,  that  is  employed  here,  and  that  you  may  get  the 
true  conception  of  the  word,  I  will  quote  it  as  it  is  else- 
where used  in  some  of  the  passages  of  the  New  Testa- 
ment. For  instance,  our  Lord  said:  "The  instructed 
scribe  shall  bring  forth  out  of  his  treasure  things  new  and 
old  " ;  there  is  the  new  contrasted  with  the  old  (Matthew 
xiii,  52).  The  Lord  said:  "This  cup  is  the  new  cove- 
nant in  my  blood."  (Luke  xxii,  20,)  There  is  not  only 
a  difference  between  the  old  and  new  covenant  in  ap- 
pearance, but  there  is  a  difference  in  kind.  Jesus  was 
buried  in  a  new  tomb  (kainos),  as  distinguished  from  an 
old  sepulchre,  which  had  been  used  for  a  place  of  burial. 

The  next  word  that  we  need  to  understand  is  the 
word  "  regeneration."  When  it  is  applied  to  conversion 
it  means  a  new  birth.  You  were  once  born  according  to 
the  flesh,  but  now  you  are  born  according  to  the  spirit. 
This  word  "regeneration"  (Greek  "  palingenesia ") 
applied  to  the  spiritual  birth  in  Titus  iii,  5,  is  thus  used 
in  Matthew :  "  You  who  have  followed  me,  shall  in  the 
regeneration  sit  on  twelve  thrones  judging  the  twelve 


xxi-xxii]      FUTURE  ETERNAL  STATE  336 

tribes  of  Israel."  This  regeneration  does  not  refer  to  man, 
but  to  the  earth.  This  regeneration  of  the  earth  is  ac- 
complished by  the  world-wide  fire,  as  the  new  earth  occu- 
pied by  Noah  was  accomplished  by  the  world-wide  flood. 
It  is  to  this  event  that  Paul  refers  in  the  eighth  chapter 
of  Romans:  "The  creation  was  made  subject  to  vanity, 
not  of  its  own  will,  but  by  reason  of  him  who  subjected 
it,  in  hope  that  creation  itself  also  shall  be  delivered  from 
the  bondage  of  corruption  into  the  liberty  of  glory  of  the 
children  of  God.  For  we  know  that  the  whole  creation 
groaneth  and  travaileth  in  pain  until  now.  And  not  only 
so,  but  ourselves  also,  who  have  the  firstfruits  of  the 
Spirit,  even  we  ourselves,  groan  within  ourselves,  waiting 
for  our  adoption,  to  wit,  the  redemption  of  our  body." 
Now,  at  the  resurrection  of  the  dead  there  will  be  a  new 
birth  of  the  earth, — a  birth  that  comes  by  fire. 

The  next  word  is  "  apokatastaseos,"  and  it  means 
"  restoration."  Peter  says  to  the  Jews :  "  Repent  that 
your  sins  may  be  blotted  out,  and  so  that  the  times  of 
refreshing  may  come  from  the  presence  of  the  Lord, 
and  so  that  he  may  send  Jesus,  whom  the  heavens  must 
receive  until  the  time  of  '  apokatastaseos,'  the  restoration 
of  all  things."  Whatever,  then,  this  word  "  kainos " 
(new),  and  this  word  "  palingenesia "  (regeneration), 
and  this  word  "apokatastaseos"  (restoration)  mean, 
they  describe  the  earth  and  the  heaven  after  the  resur- 
rection. 

It  will  be  recalled  that  in  bringing  the  earth  material 
out  of  chaos,  the  firmament,  or  atmosphere,  was  created, 
— that  is,  the  heavens  in  the  ordinary  sense ;  the  sky 
above  us, — and  that  atmosphere  by  its  specific  gravity,  its 
weight,  separated  the  waters  above  from  the  waters  be- 
low. That  is,  the  waters  converted  into  vapours  until 
lighter  than  air  would  go  up,  but  when  in  clouds  it  be- 


336  REVELATION  [xxi-xxn 

came  heavier  than  air,  it  would  be  precipitated  to  the 
earth  again  in  fog,  rain,  hail  or  snow.  It  is  the  atmos- 
phere and  its  weight  that  brings  about  that  separation. 
Hence  when  the  earth  was  about  to  be  destroyed  by  the 
flood,  God  reversed  that  process,  "  and  the  windows  of 
heaven  were  opened  " ;  the  atmosphere  was  broken  open ; 
it  lost  its  specific  gravity ;  the  fountains  of  the  deep  were 
broken  up,  and  that  division  of  the  waters  above  from 
the  waters  below,  and  the  land  from  the  sea,  was  all  done 
away  with  in  the  flood.  But  after  a  while  that  flood 
subsides,  and  coming  out  of  it  there  is  a  new  atmosphere, 
— new  heaven,  new  firmament,  new  earth, — which  Noah 
occupies.  Tremendous  changes  were  wrought  in  the 
physical  surface  of  the  earth  by  the  flood, — the  evidences 
of  it  are  to  be  found  in  the  highest  mountain  ranges,  and 
you  need  not  pay  attention  to  those  who  tell  you  that 
a  universal  flood  was  impossible.  It  was  as  universal  as 
the  fire  will  be. 

Now,  that  flood  did  not  annihilate  the  earth,  but  it 
changed  it  so  that  it  is  called  a  new  earth.  So  that  fire, 
which  leaps  out  at  the  resurrection  of  the  dead,  will  not 
annihilate  the  earth,  but  will  change  it,  and  out  of  that 
flood  of  fire  a  new  earth  appears.  That  is  the  meaning 
of  those  terms. 

We  will  also  recall  that  when  man  sinned,  that  earth 
which  God  had  pronounced  good  when  He  made  it,  was 
cursed, — it  was  made  subject  to  vanity,  but  subjected  in 
the  hope  of  restoration  in  the  redemption  of  our  bodies 
in  the  resurrection.  So  we  may  conclude  that  that  de- 
struction by  fire  does  not  annihilate,  but  changes,  and 
as  God  pronounced  the  creation  good  until  marred  by 
sin,  so  the  removal  of  sin  and  all  evil  agencies  will  bring 
restoration.  At  any  rate,  our  next  chapter  shows  that 
Paradise  is  regained, — the  Paradise  in  which  Adam  and 


xxi-xxii]     FUTURE  ETERNAL  STATE  337 

Eve  lived  is  regained  in  all  its  spiritual  power.  This  new 
creation  will  be  here  for  occupation — and  occupation  by 
man, — but  occupation  under  new  conditions  adapted  to 
his  glorified  body,  which  brings  us  to  the  next  question: 

2.  What  is  the  meaning  of  "  And  the  sea  is  no  more  "? 

I  am  not  sure  that  I  can  satisfy  myself,  much  less  you, 
as  to  what  that  means.  It  may  be  literally  true  that 
after  that  fire  there  will  be  no  more  ocean.  In  the  con- 
vulsions of  that  great  upheaval  the  bottom  of  the  sea 
may  uphea^^e.  As  it  now  stands,  three-fourths  of  the 
earth's  surface  is  covered  by  water.  I  say  we  may  con- 
sider it  that  way,  because  we  have  construed  the  earth 
literally,  and  the  firmament  literally,  and  if  so,  why  not 
consider  the  sea  literally?  Or  it  may  mean  that  there 
is  no  more  sea  in  the  sense  of  a  barrier  between  nations. 
Under  present  conditions  it  is  a  barrier.  For  many  cen- 
turies the  Atlantic  Ocean  barred  the  approach  to  this 
Western  continent;  we  had  to  wait  nearly  fifteen  cen- 
turies after  Christ  to  discover  this  continent.  The  sea 
was  in  the  way. 

But,  under  the  new  conditions  of  spiritual  bodies,  we 
would  not  need  any  ships,  because  the  glorified  man  does 
not  move  by  laboured  action,  but  by  volition.  He  wills 
to  move,  and  so  moves,  through  the  air  easier  than  a  bird 
can  fly,  and  more  swiftly  than  a  flash  of  lightning.  He 
will  be  as  the  angels  of  heaven.  While  Daniel  was  yet 
praying,  an  angel  swooped  and  touched  him ;  who  can 
measure  the  swiftness  of  his  flight?  There  will  be  no 
barrier  between  the  nations,  because  nationality  will  have 
perished;  there  is  a  unity  of  race  into  one  great  family 
of  God.  There  are  no  longer  linguistic  barriers,  as  Babel 
when  tongues  were  confused  so  that  they  could  not  un- 
derstand each  other.  And  as  at  Pentecost,  tongues  were 
given  that  they  might  understand  each  other,  this  was 


338  REVELATION  [xxi-xxii 

a  forecast  of  that  heavenly  condition  when  every  man  and 
woman  and  child  in  glory  not  only  can  understand  each 
other's  speech,  but  also  the  tongues  of  angels :  "  Now  we 
know  in  part ;  then  we  shall  know  even  as  we  are  known." 

3.  What  the  meaning  of  the  Holy  City,  the  New  Jeru- 
salem? Your  lesson  goes  on  to  say:  "And  I  saw  the 
Holy  City,  the  New  Jerusalem."  What  is  the  meaning 
of  that? 

As  there  was  an  earthly  capital  of  earthly  Israel,  called 
Jerusalem,  so  there  shall  be  a  heavenly  capital  of  spir- 
itual Israel.  Paul,  to  the  Galatians,  says :  "  Jerusalem 
that  is  above  is  free,"  and  to  the  Hebrews  he  says :  "  Ye 
are  come  unto  Mount  Zion,  and  unto  the  city  of  the  living 
God,  the  heavenly  Jerusalem."  One  of  the  promises  of 
this  book,  already  considered,  says :  *'  I  will  write  upon 
him  the  name  of  the  city  of  my  God,  the  New  Jerusalem, 
which  cometh  down  out  of  heaven  from  my  God."  Our 
Lord  Himself  has  stated :  "  Let  not  your  hearts  be  trou- 
bled. ...  In  my  Father's  house  are  many  mansions. 
.  .  .  I  go  to  prepare  a  place  for  you,  and  if  I  go  to 
prepare  a  place  for  you  I  will  come  again  and  receive 
you  unto  myself,  that  where  I  am  there  ye  may  be  also  " 
(John  xiv,  i).  Of  Abraham  it  is  said  that  the  reason 
he  was  a  sojourner  on  earth,  was  that  "  he  looked  for 
the  city  that  hath  foundations,  whose  builder  and  maker 
is  God."  And  of  the  other  Pilgrims  on  earth  it  is  said, 
in  the  eleventh  chapter  of  Hebrews :  "  They  desire  a  bet- 
ter country,  that  is  a  heavenly ;  wherefore  God  is  not 
ashamed  of  them  to  be  called  their  God,  for  he  hath 
prepared  for  them  a  city." 

Now,  let  us  note  the  measure  of  that  city :  the  passage 
measures  it  for  you.  You  will  recall  that  when  Jeru- 
salem of  the  restoration  after  the  captivity  was  about  to 
be  measured,  and  a  young  man  with  tape-line  started  out 


xxi-xxii]      FUTURE  ETERNAL  STATE  339 

to  measure  it,  an  angel  said :  Stop  that  young  man ;  do 
not  let  him  put  that  measurement  on  Jerusalem;  for 
Jerusalem  will  extend  into  the  country,  and  take  in  the 
villages  and  the  whole  outlying  territory.  What  a  pity 
that  we  cannot  speak  to  all  the  young  men  who  go  out 
with  their  narrow  and  restricted  tape-lines  to  measure  the 
city  and  government  of  God ! 

4.  What  the  dimensions  of  the  city? 

Now,  the  text  says  the  circuit  of  this  city  was  12,000 
furlongs, — I  am  giving  you  the  symbolical  numbers; 
that  would  be  1,500  miles,  and  as  it  was  square,  that 
means  that  each  side  was  375  miles.  Suppose  we  take 
375  miles  as  the  side  of  a  square  city:  375  times  375 
miles  is  140,625  square  miles.  That  gives  you  its  sur- 
face area.  But  the  city  is  as  high  as  it  is  long  or  broad, 
so  we  have  to  go  up  375  miles,  and  make  a  cube,  or 
hexagon,  with  six  sides.  Now,  multiply  your  140,625  by 
the  375  miles  high,  and  you  get  over  fifty-two  million 
cubic  miles.  Suppose  you  put  it  into  stories,  each  story 
a  mile  high  and  with  140,625  square  miles  surface,  and 
then  another  story  on  top  of  that,  and  so  on  up.  Talk 
about  your  modern  skyscrapers!  Elevators?  You 
won't  need  any  elevators !  If  you  are  down  on  the  street 
of  that  city,  and  you  want  to  go  to  the  top  story,  you  will 
to  be  there,  and  there  you  are.  You  do  not  need  any 
machinery  to  pull  you  up  in  your  glorified  body. 

5.  How  does  it  compare  with  ancient  Jerusalem,  and 
what  the  meaning  of  these  symbolic  numbers  ? 

Just  think  of  the  circuit  of  ancient  Jerusalem, — four 
miles.  You  could  ride  around  ancient  Jerusalem  in  an 
hour, — all  around  it.  Whatever  these  symbolic  numbers 
mean,  they  certainly  mean  that  there  will  be  a  great  many 
people  saved  to  occupy  so  great  a  city, — and  that  is  only 
the  capital.     Multiply  the  square  miles  in  London  or 


840  REVELATION  [xxi-xxn 

New  York  a  thousandfold,  and  it  would  not  even  ap- 
proximate the  dimensions  of  this  New  Jerusalem :  "  In 
my  Father's  house  are  many  mansions." 

6.  Describe  its  wall  and  give  its  boundaries;  what 
symbols  show  the  richness  of  the  city? 

Now,  in  addition  to  the  size  of  the  city  thus  expressed, 
there  is  a  wall  that  enclosed  the  city,  how  close  to  it 
the  record  does  not  say, — it  may  be  the  boundaries  of 
the  earth.  That  wall,  if  you  use  the  sacred  cubit  of  22 
inches  as  a  measure,  is  260  feet  high ;  if  you  use  the  18- 
inch  cubit  measure,  it  is  216  feet  high.  It  is  a  higher 
wall  than  this  earth  ever  saw, — higher  by  far  than  the 
walls  of  ancient  Babylon.  The  great  Chinese  wall,  built 
as  a  barrier  to  Tartar  invasion,  may  start  you  on  the  idea. 
This  wall  goes  all  around  the  city,  and  the  twelve  foun- 
dations of  the  wall  have  on  them  the  names  of  the  twelve 
apostles  of  the  Lamb.  The  city  is  four-sided,  just  as  the 
ancient  court  around  the  tabernacle,  looking  north,  south, 
east  and  west,  around  which  the  twelve  tribes  camped, 
three  on  each  side.  The  richness  of  the  city  cannot  be 
conceived :  the  streets  are  of  gold,  and  every  one  of  the 
twelve  gates  is  solid  pearl.  That  is  symbolical  language, 
but  the  idea  of  the  symbolism  is  to  convey  to  you  a 
richness  that  passes  beyond  the  realization  of  any  man 
having  knowledge  of  only  such  things  as  we  see  here. 
"  Oh  when,  thou  city  of  my  God,  shall  I  thy  courts 
ascend  ?  "  Those  gates,  however,  are  never  shut, — they 
are  always  open,  because  there  is  no  evil  to  shut  out. 
The  devil  and  his  demons  and  every  evil  man  is  in  prison 
forever  in  the  lake  of  fire,  and  as  your  lesson  says,  all 
the  nations  of  the  saved  pour  through  the  gates  of  that 
city  to  worship  God. 

7.  What  are  not  found  there  and  what  things  are 
abiding  ? 


xxi-xxn]     FUTURE  ETERNAL  STATE  341 

The  light  of  the  city  is  God  Himself, — nothing  that 
the  mind  of  man  has  ever  conceived  of  in  the  way  of 
brilliancy  can  even  approximate  the  v^hite  light  and 
eternal  radiance  of  that  God  who  is  light,  and  in 
whom  there  is  no  darkness.  He  is  the  light  of  it; 
the  black  wing  of  night  never  flaps  over  it;  there  is 
no  night  there.  There  is  no  pain  there;  there  is  no 
weeping  and  mourning  for  the  dead,  for  none  die ;  there 
is  no  death  there;  tongues  have  ceased  and  prophecies 
have  ceased,  but  abiding  forever  are  hope,  love,  faith, — 
these  three.  There  is  only  love  to  God,  and  love  to  the 
fellow-man,  a  high  and  holy  love,  and  faith  and  hope; 
those  are  the  conditions.  It  is  an  eternal  condition  of 
inexpressible  felicity  and  joy.  No  wonder  Dr.  Chalmers, 
in  the  greatest  sermon  he  ever  preached  on  the  expulsive 
power  of  a  new  affection,  used  somewhat  this  language : 
"  Oh,  if  some  island  of  the  blessed  could  be  loosed  from 
its  heavenly  moorings  and  glide  down  the  stream  of  time 
and  pass  by  in  our  sight  just  one  time,  so  that  we  might 
see  the  unflecked  serenity  of  its  skies,  and  inhale  the 
fragrance  of  its  flowers,  and  be  ravished  by  the  melo- 
dious strains  of  its  music,  and  catch  just  one  time  the 
sheen  of  the  apparel  of  its  inhabitants, — never  again 
would  we  be  satisfied  with  this  world."  I  was  once  lit- 
erally swept  off  my  feet  by  hearing  four  thousand  Meth- 
odists in  a  tent  meeting  sing  that  song. 


"  Have  you   heard,   have   you   heard   of   that   sun-bright  clime, 
Undimmed  by  sorrow  and  unhurt  by  time ; 
Where  age  hath  no  power  o'er   fadeless   frame: 
Where  the  eye  is  fire,  and  the  heart  is  flame; 
Have  you  heard  of  that  sun-bright  cUme?  " 


When  the  thoughts  of  heaven  sweep  down  on  us,  when 
the  glory  of  that  heavenly  city  comes  into  the  mind,  I 


342  REVELATION  [xxi-xxn 

tell  you,  we  have  a  revival, — power  rests  on  the  feeblest 
saint. 

8.  What  three  figures  are  used  in  presenting  this 
heavenly  place? 

You  are  to  understand  that  this  heavenly  city  is  pre- 
sented in  three  figures :  First,  this  city ;  second,  the 
Lamb's  wife;  third,  by  Paradise.  Right  in  the  centre 
of  the  city  is  the  throne  of  God,  and  bubbling  up  from 
under  that  throne  is  a  water  system  that  branches  into 
four  heads,  as  in  ancient  Paradise,  running  in  four  direc- 
tions,— the  water  of  life,  flowing  freely.  And  on  either 
side  of  it  is  the  tree  of  life,  bearing  twelve  manner  of 
fruits,  and  yielding  its  fruit  every  month, — the  flowers 
never  cease  to  bloom,  the  fruit  never  ceases  to  ripen,  the 
stream  never  hushes  its  music  as  it  outflows,  and  every 
ripple  of  it  says,  "  Life,  life,  eternal  life." 

9.  What,  then,  the  object  of  the  book? 

So,  whether  we  consider  heaven  as  a  glorious  city,  or 
the  city  as  an  image,  of  the  church  in  glory,  or  as  Paradise 
regained,  we  see  "  the  restoration  of  all  things."  God 
knew,  when  He  made  this  world,  how  He  wanted  it,  but 
the  devil  thought  to  thwart  Him ;  he  did  take  possession 
of  it  for  a  time.  The  object  of  this  great  book  of  the 
New  Testament,  this  closing  book,  this  last  flash  of  reve- 
lation, is  to  show  you  preachers,  you  women  workers, 
that  all  of  this  earth  shall  be  redeemed  from  the  power  of 
the  devil,  and  that  the  gospel  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ 
will  "  never  lose  its  power  till  all  the  ransomed  church 
of  God  be  saved  to  sin  no  more,"  and  you  ought  to  live  on 
that  thought.  You  may  stumble  occasionally;  you  may 
fall  occasionally,  but  always  get  up  facing  heaven.  I 
always  said,  when  I  was  a  wicked  sinner,  that  if  I  was 
ever  converted  the  first  thing  I  would  do  after  being 
converted  would  be  to  read  Bunyan's  "  Pilgrim's  Prog- 


xxi-xxu]     FUTURE  ETERNAL  STATE  343 

ress,"  or  the  sojourner's  travel  to  the  heavenly  city.  And 
when  I  got  back  home,  lying  down,  happy  in  my  con- 
version, my  hands  over  my  face,  my  mother  came  and 
pulled  my  hands  away,  and  said :  "  My  son,  you  have 
found  the  Saviour."  That  night  I  sat  by  her  bedside 
and  read  John  Bunyan's  "  Pilgrim's  Progress."  And 
I  tell  you,  when  I  got  to  that  part  of  the  book  where 
Beulah  Land  is  described,  or  where,  from  the  mountains 
delectable,  one  might  see  the  glory  of  the  heavenly  city, 
with  only  the  river  of  death  between,  and  the  shining 
ones  coming  down  to  the  river  and  beckoning  you  to 
come  over  and  waiting  to  receive  you  when  you  crossed, 
I  got  my  great  conception  of  heaven  right  then,  and  have 
never  lost  it  since. 

There  was  a  lady  schoolmate  of  mine,  a  brilliant  girl 
and  a  very  dear  friend.  We  went  different  ways  when 
we  left  school.  One  day  I  received  a  note  written  on 
the  margin  of  a  newspaper,  saying:  "  If  you  are  my  old 
schoolmate,  as  I  think  you  are,  come  to  see  me  before  I 
die,  and  bring  your  church  choir  with  you."  I  went, 
and  found  her  heart-broken  and  dying.  When  I  entered 
the  room  she  said :  "  I  did  not  send  for  you  to  tell  me 
how  to  die :  I  know,  I  know.  But  I  tell  you  what  I  wish 
you  would  do :  get  your  singers  to  sing  a  hymn.  I  want 
to  be  upborne  on  the  wings  of  melody  as  I  ascend  to 
heaven."  I  asked:  "What  do  you  want  us  to  sing?" 
"  Sing  this  song :  *  Oh,  sing  to  me  of  heaven  when  I  am 
called  to  die ;  sing  songs  of  holy  ecstasy  to  waft  my  soul 
on  high.' "  We  sang  it,  in  tears,  and  when  we  got 
through,  in  the  sweetest,  faintest  voice,  she  repeated  the 
last  verse  and  ended  with  a  sigh.  She  was  dead.  So 
music  cheered  her  last  breath  on  earth,  and  greeted  her 
first  taste  of  heaven. 

It  may  sound  fanciful,  but  I  sometimes  am  carried 


344J  REVELATION  [xxi-xxn 

away  with  the  thought  that  if  I  could  get  together  the 
preachers  and  the  working  forces  of  the  churches,  and 
keep  them  studying  for  a  few  days  on  the  Bible  teach- 
ings of  heaven,  until  the  clearness,  and  certainty,  and 
eternity  of  heaven  and  hell  got  hold  on  them,  they  would 
know  how  to  work. 

10.  Who  the  inhabitants  of  this  city? 

You  have  learned  in  our  study  about  heaven  as  a  place, 
heaven  as  a  state,  and  now  I  close  with  a  reference  to  its 
companionship.  Paul  says :  "  But  ye  are  come  unto 
Mount  Zion,  and  unto  the  city  of  the  living  God,  the 
heavenly  Jerusalem,  and  to  innumerable  hosts  of  angels, 
to  the  general  assembly  and  church  of  the  firstborn  who 
are  enrolled  in  heaven,  and  to  God  the  Judge  of  all,  and 
to  the  spirits  of  just  men  made  perfect,  and  to  Jesus, 
the  Mediator  of  a  new  covenant,  and  to  the  blood  of 
sprinkling  that  speaketh  better  than  that  of  Abel  "  (He- 
brews xii,  22-24).  That  is  companionship  divine,  an- 
gelic and  human.  But  the  greatest  of  all  the  joys  will 
be  when  we  come  to  Jesus  and,  taking  off  the  crowns  His 
gracious  hands  placed  on  our  brows,  lay  them  down  at 
His  pierced  feet,  and  say :  "  Not  unto  us,  O  Lord,  not 
unto  us;  but  unto  Thy  name  be  honour  and  power  and 
glory  and  dominion  for  ever."  Yes,  we  are  coming  to 
Jesus ;  we  are  coming  to  the  innumerable  host  of  angels, 
ten  thousand  times  ten  thousands  of  thousands  and  thou- 
sands of  the  shining  ones  we  have  heard  so  much  about  in 
this  book ;  we  are  coming  to  the  general  assembly,  the 
church  of  the  firstborn  who  are  written  in  heaven,  and 
who,  standing  on  the  walls  of  everlasting  deliverance, 
and  looking  down  toward  the  earth  once  ruled  by  the 
devil,  all  of  its  mountain  sides  scarred  with  battle,  all  of 
its  valleys  crimson  with  blood,  all  of  its  caves  filled  with 
the  bones  of  the  murdered,  all  of  its  seas  filled  with  the 


xxi-xxn]     FUTURE  ETERNAL  STATE  345 

wrecks  of  those  who  perished  in  battle  and  storm,  we 
shall  look  down  on  it,  and  we  will  see  all  of  it  washed 
whiter  than  snow.  I  do  not  say  that  we  shall  be  limited 
to  the  earth  in  the  world  to  come ;  I  do  not  suppose  there 
will  be  any  barrier  to  our  going  to  any  part  of  the  uni- 
verse. But  God  intended  that  man  should  have  do- 
minion over  the  earth. 

II.  Who  are  forbidden  to  enter  this  city? 

Before  we  leave  the  subject  I  ought  to  say  this  sad 
thing :  "  On  the  outside  are  the  fearful,"  those  who 
lacked  moral  courage,  those  who  were  ashamed  to  say: 
"  I  am  for  Christ,"  that  were  ashamed  to  stand  by  Him, 
ashamed  to  confess  Him  in  public.  "  On  the  outside 
are  all  liars,  and  all  whoremongers,  and  all  idolaters." 
That  is  the  crowd  that  is  on  the  outside  forever.  They, 
too,  have  a  place,  prepared  for  the  devil  and  his  angels; 
they,  too,  have  companionship :  but  what  a  crowd !  what 
a  crowd!  Who  wants  to  be  with  them  forever?  If  it 
chill  your  heart  to  be  associated  now  with  one  unclean, 
foul,  slimy  soul,  what  will  it  be  to  company  with  all  the 
lost  forever? 

The   examination   questions   are   in   the  body  of  the  text,   it 
being  presented  in  the  form  of  a  catechism. 


XXIII 

EPILOGUE 
Revelation  XXII,  6-21 

THE  exposition  of  this  marvellous  and  delightful 
book  closes  with  this  chapter.  As  the  first  chap- 
ter is  the  prologue  of  the  book,  this  study  from 
the  6th  to  2 1st  verses  of  the  twenty-second  chapter  is 
the  epilogue  of  the  book.  Most  of  the  terms  of  the  first 
chapter  are  here  repeated  to  show  that  the  purpose  of 
the  revelation  there  announced  is  here  consummated. 
No  other  Bible  book  has  more  striking  marks  of  unity. 
The  first  sentence :  "  These  words  are  faithful  and  true," 
authenticates  the  whole  book.  The  second  sentence 
connects  it  in  unity  and  authority  with  all  the  preceding 
books  of  the  sacred  history.  That  sentence :  "  The  Lord, 
the  God  of  the  spirits  of  the  prophets,  sent  his  angel 
to  show  unto  his  servants  the  things  which  must  shortly 
come  to  pass,"  means  that  the  Lord  who  bestowed  upon 
each  of  the  Old  Testament  prophets,  and  on  each  of 
the  preceding  New  Testament  prophets,  that  measure  of 
the  gift  of  the  Holy  Spirit  to  qualify  him  to  write  his 
part  of  the  sacred  canon,  inspired  this  closing  book  also, 
making  it  the  capstone  and  the  climax  of  all  revelation. 
It  follows  that  the  whole  library  has  one  author,  all  the 
parts  are  correlated  into  one  complete  system  of  revela- 
tion. In  every  case,  from  Moses  to  John,  "  The  testi- 
mony of  Jesus  is  the  spirit  of  prophecy."     Paul  had  said 

346 


xxii]  EPILOGUE  347 

collectively  of  the  Old  Testament  scriptures :  "  They  are 
the  sacred  scriptures,"  distinguishing  them  from  all 
secular  and  profane  writings ;  and  then  said  of  them 
distributively,  "  pasagraphe  theopneustos,"  every  one  of 
the  writings  is  God-inspired. 

This  second  sentence  of  our  study  not  only  virtually 
affirms  the  same  thing  of  the  New  Testament  books,  but 
links  both  Testaments  into  one  inspired  unity. 

Read  the  next  two  verses :  "  And  I,  John,  am  he  who 
heard  and  saw  these  things.  And  when  I  heard  and 
saw,  I  fell  down  to  worship  before  the  feet  of  the  angel 
that  showed  me  these  things.  And  he  saith  unto  me, 
See  thou  do  it  not :  I  am  a  fellow-servant  with  thee  and 
with  thy  brethren  the  prophets,  and  with  them  that  keep 
the  words  of  this  book:  worship  God."  Here  are  two 
great  lessons :  First,  that  angels  are  not  to  be  adored : 
Worship  God.  So  Paul  wrote  to  the  Colossians :  "  Let 
no  man  rob  you  of  your  prize  by  a  voluntary  humility 
and  worshipping  of  angels  .  .  .  which  had  indeed  a 
show  of  will  worship,"  etc.  That  kind  of  worship, 
which  the  human  will  has  devised,  has  cursed  all  Chris- 
tendom as  well  as  heathendom,  worshipping  the  creature 
rather  than  the  Creator.  Huge  ecclesiasticisms,  particu- 
larly the  Romanist  and  Greek  churches,  claiming  to  be 
the  highest  expressions  of  Christianity,  are  in  the  main 
elaborate  systems  of  idolatry,  angelolatry,  Mariolatry, 
adoration  of  the  mass,  the  images,  saints,  relics,  and  a 
thousand  other  superstitions. 

The  second  lesson :  Not  only  do  the  words  of  the  angel 
show  a  fraternity  of  Old  and  New  Testament  prophets, 
but  a  fellow-service  of  both  with  the  angels :  "  I  am  a 
fellow-servant  with  thee  and  with  the  prophets,  and  with 
those  who  keep  the  words  of  this  book."  You  see  that 
sentence  blends  into  one  great  family  of  God  the  saints 


348  REVELATION  [xxn 

of  all  ages  and  the  angels  who  have  been  the  ministering 
spirits  to  the  heirs  of  salvation. 

Read  the  next  verse :  "  He  saith  unto  me :  Seal  not 
up  the  words  of  the  prophecy  of  this  book ;  for  the  time 
is  at  hand."  Here,  again,  we  gather  two  important  les- 
sons. First,  while  more  than  once  in  this  book  we  have 
seen  the  temporary  sealing  up,  or  suppression  of  the  out- 
come of  the  synchronous  views  until  the  crowning  climax 
of  all  of  them  arrives  (see  chapters  viii,  i;  x,  4),  and 
yet  at  the  end  of  the  whole  book  it  is  opened  forever ;  no 
man  can  ever  seal  up  any  part  of  this  book.  It  is  a  reve- 
lation; it  is  meant  to  be  understood.  A  benediction  is 
pronounced  on  the  hearer,  the  reader  and  the  keeper  of 
the  words  of  the  book,  but  if  we  do  not  understand  the 
book,  we  cannot  keep  its  words. 

The  second  lesson :  In  one  respect  there  is  a  sharp  con- 
trast between  the  prophecies  of  the  two  dispensations. 
For  example,  the  book  of  Daniel,  which  is  the  great  pro- 
totype of  this  book.  To  Daniel,  at  the  close  of  his 
apocalypse,  greatly  troubled  because  he  did  not  under- 
stand his  own  visions,  God  said  (and  you  will  notice  the 
contrast) :  "  But  thou,  O  Daniel,  shut  up  the  words,  and 
seal  the  book,  even  to  the  time  of  the  end:  many  shall 
run  to  and  fro  and  knowledge  shall  be  increased.  .  .  . 
And  I  heard  but  I  understood  not ;  then  said  I :  O  my 
Lord,  what  shall  be  the  issue  of  these  things?  And  he 
said :  Go  thy  way,  Daniel,  for  the  words  are  shut  up 
and  sealed  till  the  time  of  the  end.  Many  shall  purify 
and  make  themselves  white,  and  be  refined,  but  the 
wicked  shall  do  wickedly,  and  none  of  the  wicked  shall 
understand,  but  they  that  are  wise  shall  understand. 
.  .  .  But  go  thou  thy  way  till  the  end  be;  for  thou 
shalt  rest  and  stand  in  thy  lot,  at  the  end  of  the  days." 

Daniel  is  commanded  to  seal  up  his  book;  our  verse 


xxn]  EPILOGUE  349 

says :  "  Seal  not  up  the  words  of  this  prophecy."  Speak- 
ing concerning  all  the  Old  Testament  prophecies,  and 
also  concerning  the  angels,  Peter  uses  this  language: 
"  Concerning  which  salvation  the  prophets  searched  and 
sought  diligently,  who  prophesied  of  the  grace  that  should 
come  unto  you ;  searching  what  time,  or  what  manner  of 
time  the  spirit  of  Christ  which  was  in  them  did  point  to, 
when  it  testified  beforehand  the  sufferings  of  Christ,  and 
the  glories  that  should  follow  them.  To  whom  it  was 
revealed  that  not  unto  themselves,  but  unto  you  did  they 
minister  these  things,  which  now  have  been  announced 
unto  you  through  them  that  preached  the  gospel  unto 
you  by  the  Holy  Spirit  sent  forth  from  heaven.  Which 
things  angels  desire  to  look  into."  It  is  the  church,  in 
her  victories,  that  instructs  the  angels  in  the  manifold 
wisdom  of  God.  As  Paul  says  to  the  Ephesians :  "  The 
manifold  wisdom  of  God  shall  be  made  known  to  prin- 
cipalities and  powers  in  heavenly  places  by  the  church." 
The  old  dispensation,  clouded  in  type  and  shadow,  left 
many  things  sealed  up.  The  New  Testament  sweeps  all 
the  mists  away. 

Read  now  two  other  verses  of  the  lesson :  "  He  that 
is  unrighteous,  let  him  do  unrighteousness  still;  and 
he  that  is  filthy,  let  him  be  made  filthy  still ;  and  he  that 
is  righteous  let  him  do  righteousness  still ;  and  he  that 
is  holy  let  him  be  made  holy  still.  Behold,  I  come 
quickly,  and  my  reward  is  with  me,  to  render  to  each 
man  according  as  his  work  is."  Your  author  does  not 
understand  verse  1 1  to  refer  to  the  fixity  of  the  final  state 
after  the  judgment,  to  wit :  that  one  then  righteous  will 
be  righteous  forever.  That  is  true,  but  it  is  not  taught 
here.  This  epilogue  is  not  now  considering  the  results 
of  the  judgment  and  the  future  state;  they  have  been 
disposed  of  in  another  connection;  this  epilogue  is  not 


350  REVELATION  [xxn 

a  vision,  it  is  not  a  part  of  the  apocalypse.  It  simply 
tells  of  the  application  of  all  the  lessons  of  the  book  to 
the  present.  A  similar  mode  of  expression  appears  in 
Ezekiel  xii,  ii,  and  Daniel  xii,  lo.  The  meaning  is  that, 
having  now  unveiled  the  future  with  it  in  reward  and 
punishment,  the  choice  is  left  to  man  to  be  righteous  or 
unrighteous,  holy  or  filthy;  God  will  not  coerce.  Just 
so,  some  of  the  exiles  would  not  hear  Ezekiel,  and  some 
who  heard  him  would  not  practise  what  he  preached. 
He  said :  "I  am  to  you  merely  as  the  sound  of  a  pleasant 
instrument;  you  sit  before  me  just  as  if  you  were  the 
people  of  the  Lord,  but  you  go  out  after  hearing  me  and 
continue  to  do  your  abominations." 

It  reminds  me  of  the  romantic  legend  of  St.  Anthony, 
who,  having  no  people  to  preach  to,  went  and  preached 
to  the  fishes,  and  the  record  states  that  they  were  much 
edified.  But  the  eels  went  on  eeling,  and  the  stock  fish 
went  on  stealing,  each  one  living  in  the  same  old  way. 

Notwithstanding  Daniel's  visions,  the  wicked,  as  God 
said  to  him.,  would  continue  to  do  wickedly.  And  so, 
notwithstanding  this  book  of  Revelation,  those  who  love 
unholiness  will  be  allowed  to  follow  their  bent,  and  those 
who  prefer  being  filthy  will  go  on  being  made  filthy.  He 
is  permitted  to  follow  his  choice,  but  is  warned  that 
whatever  each  man  chooses  in  time  will  be  his  destiny  in 
eternity,  as  the  last  clause  of  the  verse  tells  us :  "  Behold, 
I  come  quickly,  and  my  reward  is  with  me,  to  render  to 
every  man  according  to  his  works." 

Read  the  14th  and  15th  verses:  "  Blessed  are  they  that 
wash  their  robes  that  they  may  have  the  right  to  come 
to  the  tree  of  life  and  may  enter  in  by  the  gates  of  the 
city.  Without  are  the  dogs,  and  the  sorcerers,  and  the 
idolaters,  and  the  fornicators,  and  the  murderers,  and 
every  one  that  loveth  and  maketh  a  lie."    The  reader  will 


xxn]  EPILOGUE  351 

note  the  difference  in  the  text  of  verse  14  between  the 
Common  Version  and  the  Revised,  from  which  I  quote. 
The  King  James  Version  reads  this  way :  "  Blessed  are 
they  that  do  his  comuiandments,  that  they  may  have  the 
right  to  the  tree  of  Hfe,"  and  this  version  reads: 
"  Blessed  are  they  that  hai'e  washed  their  robes,  that  they 
may  have  the  right  to  the  tree  of  life."  That  makes  a 
marked  difference  in  doctrine.  The  King  James  transla- 
tors had  not  before  them  any  one  of  the  three  oldest 
manuscripts  of  the  New  Testament:  the  Alexandrian 
manuscript,  now  in  the  British  Museum,  was  presented 
to  Charles  I.,  son  of  James.  The  Sinaitic  manuscript  was 
discovered  long  after  that  translation  by  Tischendorf, 
and  it  is  now  in  the  Museum  at  St.  Petersburg.  The 
Vatican  manuscript  is  in  the  Vatican  Library  at  Rome. 
All  these  oldest  and  best  manuscripts  read :  "  Blessed  are 
they  that  have  washed  their  robes,  that  they  may  have  the 
right  to  the  tree  of  life."  I  have  fac-similes  of  all  these 
oldest  manuscripts  in  my  library.  You  may  accept  it 
without  question  that  in  the  best  texts  the  reading  is 
"  Blessed  are  they  who  have  washed  their  robes,"  etc. 
This  harmonizes  expressly  with  the  parallel  passage  in 
the  seventh  chapter,  9th  to  14th  verses,  where  those  ar- 
rayed in  white  robes  are  declared  to  be  those  who  have 
washed  their  robes  and  made  them  white  in  the  blood  of 
the  lamb,  and  harmonizes  with  the  vital  and  funda- 
mental truth  that  the  blood  of  Christ  cleanses  froi^  all 
sin.  The  right  to  the  tree  of  life  comes  by  blood,  not  by 
works ;  by  faith,  not  by  doing.  The  thought  of  the  pas- 
sage follows  strictly  the  preceding  one.  God  will  not 
coerce ;  the  choice  is  with  men ;  if  they  by  faith  will  accept 
the  Saviour  and  are  cleansed  in  His  blood,  they  have  a 
right  to  the  tree  of  life,  and  to  enter  into  the  Holy  City, 
the  New  Jerusalem.     But  if  they  prefer  to  be  dogs,  sor- 


352  REVELATION  [xxii 

cerers,  fornicators,  murderers,  idolaters  and  liars,  then 
their  destiny  is  on  the  outside. 

Read  the  i6th  verse:  "  I,  Jesus,  have  sent  mine  angel 
to  testify  unto  you  these  things  for  the  churches.  I  am 
the  root  and  the  offspring  of  David,  the  bright,  the 
morning  star."  How  often  have  I  told  you,  since  we 
commenced  this  book,  that  the  God-appointed  agency  for 
lighting  the  world  is  the  churches.  The  whole  of  this 
book,  as  a  sacred  deposit  of  revealed  truth,  is  given  to 
the  churches.  That  is  why  the  church  is  said  to  be  the 
"  pillar  and  ground  of  the  truth." 

Here,  again,  the  connection  is  close:  This  book  of 
Revelation  is  from  the  Lord.  He  sent  His  testimony 
by  His  angel.  The  message  is  fully  authenticated;  it  is 
a  message  for  the  churches.  They  receive  the  deposit  of 
truth  for  communication  to  all  the  world. 

Read  verse  17:  "And  the  Spirit  and  the  bride  say, 
Come;  and  he  that  heareth,  let  him  say.  Come;  and  he 
that  is  athirst,  let  him  come;  and  he  that  will,  let  him 
take  of  the  water  of  life  freely."  The  revelation  of  the 
way  of  life  being  completed,  and  the  revelation  of  des- 
tiny at  the  judgment,  and  this  revelation  as  a  sacred 
deposit  having  been  given  to  the  churches,  what  shall 
they  do  with  it?  What  are  their  duties  in  view  of  the 
fact  that  they  are  the  custodians  of  the  truth?  Verse  17, 
which  I  have  just  read,  answers  that  question. 

But  what  does  it  mean  ?  You  are  invited  to  come,  and 
to  come  to  what?  The  pre-millennialists  insist  that  all 
the  "  comes  "  in  this  book  refer  to,  or  are  spoken  to, 
Jesus :  "  Come,  Lord  Jesus."  I  pointed  out  their  error 
where  the  four  Cherubim  say,  "  Come,"  "  Come," 
"  Come,"  "  Come." .  They  are  speaking  not  to  the  Lord 
Jesus,  but  are  speaking  to  those  horses  that  appear  at 
their  command  to  come,  and  I  now  say  to  you  that  the 


xxn]  EPILOGUE  353 

Spirit  does  not  say  to  Jesus,  "  Come,"  nor  does  the 
bride  or  the  church,  in  this  connection  at  least,  say  to 
Jesus,  "  Come  " ;  and  the  one  that  hears  does  not  say  to 
Jesus,  "  Come."  The  rest  of  the  verse  will  not  make 
sense  with  such  interpretation :  "  Let  him  that  is  athirst 
come,  and  such  as  will,  let  him  partake  of  the  water  of 
life  freely."  To  put  that  pre-millennial  interpretation 
on  the  passage  destroys  the  meaning  of  the  greatest  text 
in  the  Bible. 

The  revelation  of  the  way  of  life  and  the  judgment 
and  eternal  destiny  being  made  clear  and  complete  and 
authenticated,  and  that  way  of  life  shown  to  be  by  grace, 
through  faith,  in  the  cleansing  of  the  blood  of  Christ; 
and  the  choice  of  the  decision  being  left  to  man,  and  the 
complete  revelation  being  deposited  with  the  churches, 
we  come  to  our  verse :  The  Holy  Spirit,  Christ's  vicar  on 
earth,  abiding  in  the  church  till  the  judgment  day,  in 
order  to  complete  the  cleansing  by  blood,  says  to  all  men, 
"  Come."  As  if  pointing  to  that  picture  of  heaven,  de- 
scribed in  the  last  chapter,  with  the  throne  of  God,  with 
the  water  of  life  bubbling  from  under  that  throne  and 
outflowing  through  the  city,  the  Holy  Spirit  says  to  every 
sinner,  to  every  lost  man  in  the  world :  "  Come  to  this 
water  of  life."  What  the  Spirit  says  the  church  says: 
the  Spirit  and  the  church  united  give  the  invitation,  and 
the  Spirit  gives  the  power  to  the  invitation :  "  Come  to 
the  water  of  life."  Not  only  is  that  an  official  invitation, 
but  any  man  that  hears  the  Spirit  or  the  church  give  that 
invitation  is  authorized  to  repeat  it.  As  you  hear,  you 
may  turn  at  once  to  your  nearest  neighbour,  your  dearest 
friend,  the  members  of  your  family,  and  say,  "  Come." 
Not  only  that,  but  whether  you  hear  the  Spirit  or  the 
church  consciously,  if  you  are  athirst,  if  there  be  a  crav- 
ing in  your  soul,  that  very  thirst  in  you  is  your  authority 


354.  REVELATION  [xxn 

to  come.     As  Jesus  said :  "  Whosoever  that  drinketh  of 
the  water  that  I  shall  give  him  shall  never  thirst." 

What  a  glorious  thing  it  is  that  there  is  so  little  red 
tape  in  the  invitation  of  the  gospel.  You  may  be  by 
yourself,  you  may  have  no  preacher,  you  may  not  be  in 
reach  of  any  church ;  you  may  just  have  a  longing  in 
your  soul  for  salvation :  then  come.  Don't  wait  for  any- 
body or  anything.  The  thought  even  goes  a  step  beyond. 
You  may  not  even  have  that  thirst,  your  only  conviction 
may  be  that  you  cannot  feel,  yet  if  you  are  willing  to 
come :  "  Whosoever  will,  let  him  come,"  without  money 
and  without  price.  How  it  falls  into  line  with  all  Bible 
invitations;  particularly  with  the  fifty-fifth  chapter  of 
Isaiah.  That  chapter  was  my  mother's  favourite.  When 
I  was  a  little  bit  of  a  fellow  wearing  dresses,  I  had  to 
kneel  down  before  her  and  repeat :  "  Ho,  every  one  that 
thirsteth,  come  ye  to  the  waters;  and  he  that  hath  no 
money,  come  ye,  buy  and  eat;  yea,  come,  buy  wine  and 
milk  without  money  and  without  price.  Wherefore  do 
ye  spend  money  for  that  which  is  not  bread?  And  your 
labour  for  that  which  satisfieth  not?  Hearken  diligently 
unto  me,  and  eat  ye  that  which  is  good,  and  let  your  soul 
delight  itself  in  fatness.  Incline  your  ear  and  come  unto 
me;  hear,  and  your  soul  shall  live:  And  I  will  make  an 
everlasting  covenant  with  you,  even  the  sure  mercies  of 
David.  .  .  .  Seek  ye  Jehovah  while  he  may  be  found; 
call  ye  upon  him' while  he  is  near;  let  the  wicked  forsake 
his  way,  and  the  unrighteous  man  his  thoughts;  and  let 
him  return  unto  Jehovah  and  he  will  have  mercy  upon 
him ;  and  to  our  God,  for  he  will  abundantly  pardon  " 
(Isaiah  iv,  1-3,  6,  7).  Mark  the  glorious  results:  "For 
ye  shall  go  out  with  joy  and  be  led  forth  with  peace ; 
the  mountains  and  the  hills  shall  break  forth  before  you 
into  singing;  and  all  the  trees  of  the  field  shall  clap  their 


xxn]  EPILOGUE  355 

hands.  Instead  of  the  thorn  shall  come  up  the  fir  tree, 
and  instead  of  the  brier  shall  come  up  the  myrtle  tree; 
and  it  shall  be  to  Jehovah  for  a  name,  for  an  everlasting 
sign  that  shall  not  be  cut  off."  That  is  to  say,  in  the  joy 
of  your  heart  you  interpret  differently  all  external  nature, 
the  sunlight  is  svi^eeter,  the  trees  are  more  beautiful,  the 
earth  takes  on  a  new  dignity  and  nature,  and  you  see 
everything  through  the  rose  colour  of  your  faith. 

I  say,  then,  that  while  the  choice  is  left  to  each  man 
to  be  righteous  or  unrighteous,  no  choice  is  left  to  the 
church  or  to  the  Christian :  you  must  invite.  If  he  die, 
his  blood  must  not  be  on  you ;  you  must  say  to  him, 
"  Come." 

Read  the  i8th  verse:  "I  testify  unto  every  man  that 
heareth  the  words  of  the  prophecy  of  this  book,  if  any 
man  shall  add  unto  them,  God  shall  add  unto  him  the 
plagues  that  are  written  in  this  book;  and  if  any  man 
shall  take  away  from  the  words  of  this  prophecy,  God 
shall  take  away  his  part  of  the  tree  of  life  and  out  of 
the  Holy  City  which  are  written  in  this  book."  What  a 
tremendous  sentence !  And  in  view  of  it,  hear  the  ex- 
president  of  Harvard  University  say :  "  We  need  a  new 
religion."  He  wants  to  add  to  what  this  book  says. 
Hear  the  former  professor  of  theology  in  the  Divinity 
School  of  the  University  of  Chicago  say  only  a  little  part 
of  the  Christian  religion  will  be  final ;  you  remember  his 
book,  "  The  Finality  of  the  Christian  Religion,"  which 
goes  on  whittling  away  on  God's  revelation  until  what  is 
left,  in  his  estimation,  would  rest  without  falling  off  on 
the  point  of  a  cambric  needle.  And  they  promoted  him 
from  a  chair  in  the  Divinity  School  to  the  University 
Chair  of  Comparative  Religions.  At  which  I  wondered 
in  this  fashion :  Since  even  he  admits  that  the  Christian 
religion  is  the  best  of  all  extant  religions,  but  since  only 


356  REVELATION  [xxn 

an  infinitesimal  part  of  that  will  abide,  why  waste  money 
to  pay  a  man  to  institute  comparisons  between  them? 

I,  for  one,  think  that  verses  i8  and  19  are  not  exclu- 
sively limited  to  the  book  of  Revelation.  For,  if  I  have 
correctly  interpreted  the  foregoing  passages,  showing 
that  this  book  is  bound  up  with  all  the  other  prophecies 
into  one  unity,  and  as  in  this  book  Christ's  prophetic 
office  is  closed  henceforth,  so  then  there  will  never  be 
another  revelation,  nor  need  for  another,  and  as  this 
book  is  the  climax  revealing  Paradise  regained  to  meet 
the  Paradise  lost  of  Genesis,  then  the  warning  applies 
to  all  the  inseparable  library.  Since  this  book  makes 
known  the  way  of  life  to  the  lost,  since  the  only  way  to 
the  tree  of  life  and  the  holy  New  Jerusalem  of  God  and 
the  blessed  society  that  is  described  in  the  preceding 
chapter,  since  through  the  blood  of  Jesus  Christ  is  the 
only  way  to  obtain  the  right  to  enter,  how  heinous  must 
be  the  offence  of  taking  away  a  part  of  this  book,  or  add- 
ing a  part! 

There  has  always  been  in  the  sinner's  heart  a  prurient 
desire  to  find  some  way  to  the  secrets  of  the  hereafter, 
and  hence  they  have  resorted  to  magic  and  sorcery,  for- 
tune-telling, soothsaying,  necromancy  and  ten  thousand 
other  ways.  Even  in  hell  the  rich  man  had  that  desire: 
"  Father  Abraham,  send  Lazarus  back  to  yonder  world 
to  tell  my  brothers  not  to  come  here."  Abraham  said: 
"  They  have  Moses  and  the  prophets ;  they  have  the 
light."  He  said :  "  No,  Father  Abraham,  if  one  would 
go  unto  them  from  the  dead  they  will  repent."  Abra- 
ham said :  "  If  they  would  not  repent  under  Moses  and 
the  prophets,  they  would  not  repent  under  one  that  came 
from  the  dead."  Whoever  is  not  willing  to  be  saved  by 
this  revelation,  a  stored  up,  a  precious  treasure  of  life, 
deposited  with  the  churches,  then  how  can  he  be  saved? 


xxn]  EPILOGUE  357 

That  is  why  I  told  you,  and  probably  shocked  some  of 
you  by  saying,  that  whoever  is  not  saved  through  the 
shining  of  the  candlesticks  and  stars,  through  the  minis- 
try of  the  light  of  the  churches  and  the  preachers,  can- 
not be  saved.  Therefore,  no  man  can  be  saved  after 
Christ  comes;  all  of  the  saving  light  is  deposited  with 
the  churches.  That  is  why  I  prefer  to  take  my  con- 
ception of  the  churches  from  Jesus  Christ  rather  than 
from  man's  idea  of  what  is  the  church.  He  estab- 
lished the  church  as  an  institution;  he  calls  the  concrete 
expression  of  the  institution,  "  The  churches  " :  He  says, 
"  These  are  the  candlesticks  and  the  stars  that  are  to 
illumine  the  world,"  I  count  being  a  church  member  a 
very  great  honour.  Others  prefer  to  run  over  the  range 
as  mavericks, — Texas  cattlemen  know  what  that  means, 
— wild  stock  with  no  brand  or  mark  on  them.  And  there 
are  quite  a  lot  of  preachers  who  prefer  to  be  "  free 
lances,"  independent  of  the  churches,  Paul  says  that 
Jesus  set  the  apostles,  prophets,  evangelists  and  teachers 
in  the  church:  that  is  where  He  put  them;  they  are  not 
turned  out  loose  in  the  world  like  wandering  stars :  they 
must  have  anchorage;  they  must  hail  from  some  port 
and  must  be  going  to  some  port. 

EXAMINATION  QUESTIONS 

1.  What  part  of  this  book  the  prologue,  and  what  part  the 
epilogue? 

2.  In  what  words  is  the  whole  book  authenticated? 

3.  In  what  words  is  it  connected  in  unity  and  authority  with 
all  preceding  books  of  the  sncred  library? 

4.  What  the  meaning  of  "  The  Lord,  the  God  of  Spirits, 
sent  his  angel  to  show  unto  his  servants  the  things "  of  this 
book? 

5.  What  follows  from  this  meaning? 

6.  How  does  Paul  speak  of  the  Old  Testament  book,  first 
collectively,  then   distributively? 

7.  What  the  two  great  lessons  from  verses  8  and  9? 


358  REVELATION  [xxii 

8.  What  the  two  lessons  from  verse   lo? 

9.  What  the  meaning  of  verse  11,  negatively  and  positively? 

10.  Wherein  does  the  rendering  of  the  Common  Version  of 
verse  14  differ  from  the  Revision,  and  why? 

11.  Expound  verse   17. 

12.  Why  may  you  not  restrict  the  words  of  verses   18  and 
19  to  this  book  alone? 


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